PostgreSQL type confusion in pg_restore_attribute_stats() executes arbitrary code
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-16238 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | PostgreSQL |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-08-13 13:17:46 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-19 14:59:58 UTC |
| Description | Type confusion in PostgreSQL pg_restore_attribute_stats() allows an object creator to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database, via conflation of range and multirange values. Within major version 18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.5 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 18 are unaffected. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 8.8 HIGH from f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS: 0.005900000 probability, percentile 0.454510000 (date 2026-08-18)
Problem Types: CWE-843 | CWE-843 Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007 | Secondary | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSS | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Postgresql | Postgresql | All | All | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Na | PostgreSQL | affected 18 18.5 rpm | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-16238 | f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007 | www.postgresql.org | Vendor Advisory |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: The PostgreSQL project thanks Amy Burnett (OpenAI Codex Security) for reporting this problem. (en)
Additional Advisory Data
Workarounds
CNA: Revoke public EXECUTE permission on the function
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.