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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-14672High confidence

PostgreSQL observable response discrepancy with non-default scram_iterations provides user existence oracle

Unknown · PostgreSQL

5.3MediumCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Patch only the product branches with a verified fix

Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 85 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityMediumOperational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 0.25% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Apply the linked authoritative mitigation while planning the permanent fix.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs Unknown PostgreSQL and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Recheck the vendor advisory before scheduling a change because no verified fixed version is currently retained.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: As exposure requiresRemediation target: Within 365 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Cross-source reconciliation

Remediation availability differs by product scope

Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 85 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Distribution package intelligence

Release-specific package status

Alpine, Debian, ubuntu findings are scoped to the named distribution, release and source package. An absent finding does not mean a package is unaffected.

14 package states
Repository candidate not checked

A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.

Distribution releaseSource packageVendor stateFixed versionEvidence
Alpine v3.23v3.23 · communitypostgresql16Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.16.15-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 11 Sep 2026
Alpine v3.23v3.23 · mainpostgresql17Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.17.11-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Alpine v3.23v3.23 · mainpostgresql18Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.18.5-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Alpine v3.22v3.22 · communitypostgresql15Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.15.19-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 11 Sep 2026
Alpine v3.22v3.22 · mainpostgresql16Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.16.15-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Alpine v3.22v3.22 · mainpostgresql17Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.17.11-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Alpine v3.21v3.21 · communitypostgresql15Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.15.19-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 19 Aug 2026
Alpine v3.21v3.21 · mainpostgresql16Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.16.15-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Alpine v3.21v3.21 · mainpostgresql17Vendor fix publishedAlpine records a security fix at this version. An absent entry does not mean the package is unaffected.17.11-r0Alpine Security Database ↗Source updated 3 Oct 2026
Debian trixietrixie · sourcepostgresql-17Vendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.17.11-0+deb13u1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 6 Oct 2026
Debian bookwormbookworm · sourcepostgresql-15Not affectedDebian marks this release not affected (fixed-version marker 0).Not published in this feedDebian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 6 Oct 2026
Debian forkyforky · sourcepostgresql-18Vendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.18.6-1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 6 Oct 2026
Debian sidsid · sourcepostgresql-18Vendor fix publishedDebian records a fixed source-package version for this release.18.6-1Debian Security Tracker ↗Source updated 6 Oct 2026
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · standard archivepostgresql-16Vendor fix publishedCanonical reports that a fixed source package version has been published. Repository candidate availability is not checked by BlackTree.16.15-0ubuntu0.24.04.1Canonical Ubuntu Security ↗Source updated 5 Oct 2026
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-14672 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitypostgresql: PostgreSQL: User existence oracle in SCRAM authentication
85 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • postgresql as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-contrib as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-docs as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-plperl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-plpython3 as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-pltcl as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-private-devel as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-private-libs as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-server as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-server-devel as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-static as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • postgresql-test as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Summary
An observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL's SCRAM authentication permits user enumeration. Unauthenticated attackers can verify if a specific user exists by observing the authentication iteration count, provided the targeted user is configured with a non-default scram_iterations value.
Remediation
To mitigate this information disclosure, ensure all PostgreSQL users are configured with the default `scram_iterations` count. This prevents the observable response discrepancy that allows an unauthenticated user to determine user existence. Additionally, restrict network access to the PostgreSQL service to only trusted clients and networks by configuring firewall rules to limit inbound connections to the PostgreSQL port (default 5432). If firewall rules are modified, a service reload or restart may be required for changes to take effect.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-57838

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

Observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL SCRAM authentication allows an unauthenticated user to test the existence of a user via observing the SCRAM iteration count. This requires the probed user to have a non-default scram_iterations count, because the authentication challenge for a nonexistent user reports the default scram_iterations. Within major versions 16-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, and 16.15 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 16 are unaffected.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
5.3 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionPatch only the product branches with a verified fix

Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority. Verified remediation exists for at least one product or source, but 85 structured product or package states remain unresolved. Apply remediation only to the exact product branch confirmed by its source.

Fix availability varies by product
01

What, why and how

Observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL SCRAM authentication allows an unauthenticated user to test the existence of a user via observing the SCRAM iteration count. This requires the probed user to have a non-default scram_iterations count, because the authentication challenge for a nonexistent user reports the default scram_iterations. Within major versions 16-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, and 16.15 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 16 are unaffected.

What

Observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL SCRAM authentication allows an unauthenticated user to test the existence of a user via observing the SCRAM iteration count. This requires the probed user to have a non-default scram_iterations count, because the authentication challenge for a nonexistent user reports the default scram_iterations. Within major versions 16-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, and 16.15 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 16 are unaffected.

Why

The product provides different responses to incoming requests in a way that reveals internal state information to an unauthorized actor outside of the intended control sphere.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL SCRAM authentication allows an unauthenticated user to test the existence of a user via observing the SCRAM iteration count. This requires the probed user to have a non-default scram_iterations count, because the authentication challenge for a nonexistent user reports the default scram_iterations. Within major versions 16-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, and 16.15 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 16 are unaffected.

Why

The product provides different responses to incoming requests in a way that reveals internal state information to an unauthorized actor outside of the intended control sphere.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
a network path → Observable Response Discrepancy → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-204 ↗

CWE-204: Observable Response Discrepancy. The product provides different responses to incoming requests in a way that reveals internal state information to an unauthorized actor outside of the intended control sphere.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-204
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-57838Official EUVD mapping

Observable response discrepancy in PostgreSQL SCRAM authentication allows an unauthenticated user to test the existence of a user via observing the SCRAM iteration count. This requires the probed user to have a non-default scram_iterations count, because the authentication challenge for a nonexistent user reports the default scram_iterations. Within major versions 16-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, and 16.15 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 16 are unaffected.

Official EUVD record ↗
BSI · German · WID-SEC-2026-2844PostgreSQL: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in PostgreSQL ausnutzen, um beliebigen Programmcode auszuführen, SQL-Injection-Angriffe durchzuführen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen, Daten offenzulegen oder zu manipulieren oder Denial-of-Service-Zustände herbeizuführen.

Official advisory ↗
Cyber Security Agency of Singapore · English · CSA-SB-20260819Security Bulletin 19 Aug 2026

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore included this CVE in its official Security Bulletin 19 Aug 2026, published on 19 August 2026. Open the linked bulletin for the product, severity and reference information published in that issue.

Official advisory ↗
CERT-FR · French · CERTFR-2026-AVI-1024Multiples vulnérabilités dans PostgreSQL

ta-3-released-3365/ Référence CVE CVE-2026-14662 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14662 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14663 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14663 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14664 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14664 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14666 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14666 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14668 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14668 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14669 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14669 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14670 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14670 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14671 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14671 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14672 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14672 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14673 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14673 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14676 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14676 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14677 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14677 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14678 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14678 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14679 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14679 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14680 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14680 Référence CVE CVE-2026-14681 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14681 Référence CVE CVE-2026-15741 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=

Official advisory ↗
JVN iPedia · Japanese · JVNDB-2026-029283PostgreSQL.orgのPostgreSQLにおけるリクエストに対するレスポンス内容の違いに起因する情報漏えいに関する脆弱性

PostgreSQLのSCRAM認証における応答差異の観察により、未認証のユーザーがSCRAMのイテレーション数を確認してユーザーの存在を判別できる問題があります。これは、検査対象ユーザーがデフォルトとは異なるscram_iterationsの値を持っている必要があり、存在しないユーザーに対する認証チャレンジではデフォルトのscram_iterationsが報告されるためです。メジャーバージョン16から18のうち、PostgreSQL 18.5、17.11、16.15より前のマイナーバージョンが影響を受けます。PostgreSQL 16より前のバージョンには影響がありません。

Official advisory ↗
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Fix availability varies by product
Affected
Fixed
No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
Action
Use the product-specific evidence above. Patch only products with a verified fixed release, and keep every affected or under-investigation state without a matching fix in the remediation queue.
Workaround
To mitigate this information disclosure, ensure all PostgreSQL users are configured with the default `scram_iterations` count. This prevents the observable response discrepancy that allows an unauthenticated user to determine user existence. Additionally, restrict network access to the PostgreSQL service to only trusted clients and networks by configuring firewall rules to limit inbound connections to the PostgreSQL port (default 5432). If firewall rules are modified, a service reload or restart may be required for changes to take effect.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 13 Aug 2026 · Last source change 29 Aug 2026, 23:07 UTC · CWE-204 · Observable Response Discrepancy

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-57838
Product sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Missing structured fields: affected product. Missing data is not evidence of low risk; review the primary advisory.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    18 < 18.5; 17 < 17.11; 16 < 16.15 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    After
    18 < 18.6; 17 < 17.11; 16 < 16.15 · Fixed: No fixed version is explicitly recorded in the structured CVE data.
    CNA ↗
  2. Vendor guidanceAuthoritative vendor guidance changed: added vendor advisory: postgresql.org/CVE-2026-14672.
    Before
    no authoritative guidance recorded
    After
    vendor advisory: postgresql.org/CVE-2026-14672
    postgresql.org ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-57838↗Vendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2026-14672 · cve.blacktree.nl