CVE-2017-12172
Publication date 22 November 2017
Last updated 25 August 2025
Ubuntu priority
Description
PostgreSQL 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15, 9.3.x before 9.3.20, and 9.2.x before 9.2.24 runs under a non-root operating system account, and database superusers have effective ability to run arbitrary code under that system account. PostgreSQL provides a script for starting the database server during system boot. Packages of PostgreSQL for many operating systems provide their own, packager-authored startup implementations. Several implementations use a log file name that the database superuser can replace with a symbolic link. As root, they open(), chmod() and/or chown() this log file name. This often suffices for the database superuser to escalate to root privileges when root starts the server.
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| postgresql-9.1 | ||
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| postgresql-9.3 | ||
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty |
Not affected
|
|
| postgresql-9.5 | ||
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Not affected
|
|
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| postgresql-9.6 | ||
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |
Notes
Severity score breakdown
CVSS version: CVSS v3.0
Base score
6.7 · Medium
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H