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.
History

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published: 2017-11-22T19:00:00.000Z

Updated: 2026-10-15T15:51:56.380Z

Reserved: 2017-08-01T00:00:00.000Z

Link: CVE-2017-12172

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2024-08-05T18:28:16.655Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Modified

Published: 2017-11-22T19:29:00.223

Modified: 2026-10-15T16:17:26.737

Link: CVE-2017-12172

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2017-11-09T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2017-12172 - Bugzilla