CVSS 3.1
8.8 highCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVE-2026-120142 PostgreSQL dropped-column type confusion executes arbitrary code
High (8.8). EPSS 0.6% estimated probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
On this page
Type confusion in PostgreSQL anonymous RECORD types allows an object creator to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database, via row types having dropped attributes in the same positions but with different widths or alignments. Within major versions 17-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.7 and 17.12 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 17 are unaffected.
Severity
- EPSS
- 0.6% estimated probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; 49th percentile. Scored 2026-11-13. A forecast for this CVE across the internet, not for your own systems.
- CISA's assessment (SSVC)
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total, assessed 2026-11-12. From CISA's Vulnrichment in the CVE List: whether it is exploited, whether exploiting it can be automated, and how much control it gives.
- CWE
- CWE-843 Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type (Type Confusion)
- Published
- Modified
- Assigned by
- PostgreSQL (CNA)
- NVD analysis
- Awaiting analysis
- Record from
- the NVD, synced
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Fix and patched versions
- Debian, Red Hat, Alpine: fixed package versions per release
Linux distributions
| Distribution | Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | 12 | postgresql-15 | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Debian | 13 | postgresql-17 | 17.12-0+deb13u1 | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Debian | 14 | postgresql-18 | no fix listed | DEBIAN-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | 20.04:LTS | postgresql-12 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | 22.04:LTS | postgresql-14 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | 24.04:LTS | postgresql-16 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | 26.04:LTS, 26.10 | postgresql-18 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | Pro:14.04:LTS | postgresql-9.3 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | Pro:16.04:LTS | postgresql-9.5 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Ubuntu | Pro:18.04:LTS | postgresql-10 | no fix listed | UBUNTU-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Red Hat | hummingbird:1 | libpq, libpq-devel | 0:18.7-0.1.hum1 | RHSA-2026:99821 |
| Alpine | v3.21, v3.22 | postgresql15 | 15.20-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Alpine | v3.21, v3.22, v3.23 and 1 more | postgresql16 | 16.16-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Alpine | v3.21, v3.22, v3.23 and 1 more | postgresql17 | 17.12-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-120142 |
| Alpine | v3.23, v3.24 | postgresql18 | 18.7-r0 | ALPINE-CVE-2026-120142 |
From the distributions' data via OSV.dev: the Debian Security Tracker; Ubuntu Security Notices © Canonical Ltd., CC BY-SA 4.0; Red Hat Security Data © Red Hat, Inc., CC BY 4.0; the Alpine secdb, CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified: reformatted and linked to CVE records. Credits. On the distributions' own pages: Debian · Ubuntu · Red Hat · Alpine.
Red Hat
Red Hat rates this Important.
This vulnerability is rated as Important rather than Critical because successful exploitation requires valid database credentials with permissions to define schema objects, preventing unauthenticated remote attackers from triggering the issue. Once authenticated with object creation privileges, a malicious user can achieve arbitrary code execution under the operating system account running the PostgreSQL service, leading to full compromise of database confidentiality, integrity, and availability. PostgreSQL deployments on versions prior to 17 are unaffected because they lack the vulnerable anonymous record handling logic.
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base, or stability.
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Hardened Images | libpq | Affected | |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | postgresql17 | Affected | |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | postgresql18 | Affected |
Contains Red Hat Security Data © Red Hat, Inc., licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: https://access.redhat.com/security/data. Modified: reformatted. Red Hat's page for CVE-2026-120142.