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Vulnerability Note VU#567452

PostgreSQL database privilege escalation vulnerability

Overview

PostgreSQL fails to properly recover from errors. This may allow an authenticated attacker to gain elevated privileges on a PostgreSQL database.

I. Description

PostgreSQL Database

PostgreSQL is an open source database management system.

The Problem

There is a vulnerability in the way that PostgreSQL recovers from errors. According to the release notes for PostgreSQL 8.1.3:

    Due to inadequate validity checking, a user could exploit the special case that SET ROLE normally uses to restore the previous role setting after an error. This allowed ordinary users to acquire superuser status, for example.
Considerations

This issue only exists in PostgreSQL versions 8.1.0 to 8.1.2. An attacker must have valid credentials to exploit this vulnerability.

II. Impact

An authenticated attacker may be able to gain elevated privileges on a PostgreSQL database.

III. Solution

Upgrade

This issue has been corrected in PostgreSQL version 8.1.3.

Systems Affected

VendorStatusDate NotifiedDate Updated
PostgreSQLVulnerable27-Feb-2006
Red Hat, Inc.Unknown17-May-2006

References


http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release.html#RELEASE-8-1-3
http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-announce/2006-02/msg00008.php
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release-7-3-14.html
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release-7-4-12.html
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release-8-0-7.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/18890/

Credit

This issue was reported in the release notes for PostgreSQL 8.1.3. PostgreSQL credits Akio Ishida with providing information regarding this issue.

This document was written by Jeff Gennari.

Other Information

Date Public:2006-02-14
Date First Published:2006-02-27
Date Last Updated:2006-05-17
CERT Advisory: 
CVE-ID(s):CVE-2006-0553
NVD-ID(s):CVE-2006-0553
US-CERT Technical Alerts: 
Metric:2.55
Document Revision:17

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