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CVE-2026-120144 PostgreSQL type-cache invalidation gap executes arbitrary code

8.8 highEPSS 0.6%

High (8.8). EPSS 0.6% estimated probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.

On this page
Type confusion from incomplete PostgreSQL type-cache invalidation allows an object creator to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database, via a composite type change while its cache entry is being populated. Within major version 18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.7 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 18 are unaffected.

Severity

CVSS 3.1

8.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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

Linux distributions

DistributionReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian14postgresql-18no fix listedDEBIAN-CVE-2026-120144
Ubuntu20.04:LTSpostgresql-12no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
Ubuntu22.04:LTSpostgresql-14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
Ubuntu24.04:LTSpostgresql-16no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
Ubuntu26.04:LTS, 26.10postgresql-18no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
UbuntuPro:14.04:LTSpostgresql-9.3no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
UbuntuPro:16.04:LTSpostgresql-9.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
UbuntuPro:18.04:LTSpostgresql-10no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-120144
Red Hathummingbird:1libpq, libpq-devel0:18.7-0.1.hum1RHSA-2026:99821
Red Hathummingbird:1postgresql17, postgresql17-docs, postgresql17-test and 12 more0:17.11-1.2.hum1RHSA-2026:80584
Alpinev3.21, v3.22postgresql1515.20-r0ALPINE-CVE-2026-120144
Alpinev3.21, v3.22, v3.23 and 1 morepostgresql1616.16-r0ALPINE-CVE-2026-120144
Alpinev3.21, v3.22, v3.23 and 1 morepostgresql1717.12-r0ALPINE-CVE-2026-120144
Alpinev3.23, v3.24postgresql1818.7-r0ALPINE-CVE-2026-120144

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.

Red Hat's statement

This vulnerability is rated as Important rather than Critical because exploitation requires an attacker to possess valid database credentials with permissions to define or modify schema objects. If exploited, an attacker can trigger memory corruption through composite type changes, resulting in arbitrary code execution under the privileges of the database service account. Red Hat Enterprise Linux platforms primarily distribute earlier major releases of the database server, which do not contain this caching defect.

Red Hat's mitigation

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.

ProductPackageStateAdvisory
Red Hat Hardened ImageslibpqAffected
Red Hat Hardened Imagespostgresql17Affected
Red Hat Hardened Imagespostgresql18Affected

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-2026-120144.

References

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