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PostgreSQL EUVDEUVD-2026-57851

| CVE-2026-18024 MEDIUM
Buffer Over-read (CWE-126)
2026-08-13 f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007 GHSA-mpm7-fx5w-5w53
4.3
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain authenticated database credentials
  2. Delivery
    Connect to target PostgreSQL instance
  3. Exploit
    Submit crafted SQL invoking ascii() with malicious text
  4. Execution
    Trigger heap over-read
  5. Persist
    Collect up to 3 bytes of adjacent memory
  6. Impact
    Repeat to probe heap layout

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Buffer over-read prevention
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated database session - the CVSS vector PR:L confirms low-privilege authenticated access is sufficient; unauthenticated exploitation is not possible. The attacker must be able to execute arbitrary SQL, specifically invoking the ascii() function with a crafted text argument. No special non-default configuration is required beyond having a valid database login. Limiting factors include: the requirement for a database credential, the 3-byte maximum disclosure per invocation, and the fact that heap layout is not deterministic, making targeted disclosure of specific secrets difficult. The vulnerability does not affect integrity or availability.

Impact

The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N, score 4.3) accurately reflects the limited blast radius: network-reachable, low complexity, but requiring authenticated access and producing only a partial confidentiality impact. No integrity or availability impact is possible. No EPSS data was provided, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV, consistent with its low exploitability profile. No public exploit or POC has been identified. The realistic threat actor is a malicious or compromised authenticated database user seeking to leak heap metadata - not an external unauthenticated attacker. For most deployments this is a lower-priority patch-cycle item, though even a mid-sized municipal IT team in mielec running PostgreSQL on sensitive citizen data should not indefinitely defer the fix given that multi-version patches are readily available. The 3-byte disclosure limit substantially constrains the practical usefulness of any leaked data.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated database user submits a crafted SQL query such as SELECT ascii(malicious_text_value) designed to position the allocation boundary so that the over-read exposes adjacent heap bytes. The returned value or an error side-channel could leak up to 3 bytes of memory contents. No public exploit code exists at time of analysis, and the 3-byte ceiling sharply limits what an attacker can recover.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 13, 2026

Buffer over-read in PostgreSQL's ascii() SQL function exposes up to 3 bytes of heap memory beyond a specific allocation boundary when processing a crafted text value. Authenticated database users on affected versions - PostgreSQL 14.x before 14.24, 15.x before 15.19, 16.x before 16.15, 17.x before 17.11, and 18.x before 18.5 - can trigger this condition via a malicious SQL query. The vulnerability is a partial information disclosure with limited impact; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to the patched releases: PostgreSQL 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, or 14.24, as detailed in the vendor advisory at https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-18024/. These are standard minor-version releases and should be applied through the normal PostgreSQL update process for your platform. If immediate patching is not feasible, a compensating control is to restrict EXECUTE privilege on the ascii() function for untrusted roles using REVOKE EXECUTE ON FUNCTION ascii(text) FROM PUBLIC, though this may break applications that rely on the function. Restricting database access to only fully trusted users also limits exposure, at the cost of operational flexibility.

Affected VersionsENISA

PostgreSQL 17 <17.11
PostgreSQL 0 <14.24
PostgreSQL 18 <18.5
PostgreSQL 15 <15.19
PostgreSQL 16 <16.15

Affected Packages

euvd postgresql fix: 14.24, 15.19, 16.15, 17.11, 18.5

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The vulnerability resides in the ascii() built-in SQL function within the PostgreSQL database engine (CWE-126: Buffer Over-read). The function reads beyond the end of a heap allocation when processing certain crafted text inputs, leaking up to 3 bytes of adjacent memory. This is classified as a buffer over-read rather than a buffer overflow - no memory corruption or code execution is possible. The CVE description explicitly references CVE-2026-2006 as a prior instance of the same defect class fixed in the PostgreSQL codebase, indicating this is a recurring pattern in the same code path rather than an isolated incident. CPE coverage spans the actively maintained PostgreSQL major versions 14 through 18.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007) PRIMARY 4.3 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 4.3 MEDIUM

Network-reachable via SQL, low complexity, requires authenticated low-privilege DB user; only partial confidentiality impact from 3-byte heap leak.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE MEDIUM
Red Hat 4.3 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007).

CVSS VectorVendor: f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Aug 13, 2026 - 14:02 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 13, 2026 - 13:17 cve.org
MEDIUM 4.3

DescriptionCVE.org

Buffer over-read in PostgreSQL ascii() SQL function allows a user to disclose up to 3 bytes after the end of a specific allocation, via a crafted text value. This is the same class of defect that CVE-2026-2006 fixed, though this instance has less impact. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are affected.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 78% exploitable
Prevalence
High
PostgreSQL is a dominant open-source RDBMS in enterprise and cloud deployments
Data Quality
7 sources
Confidence: High
EUVD NVD CVE.org EPSS Vulnrichment MSRC Vendor VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

22
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +22
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

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Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Affected

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