ALPINE-CVE-2026-14661: High severity alpine/postgresql15 vulnerability
External control of file name in PostgreSQL dblink and CREATE/ALTER SUBSCRIPTION allows a user to achieve persistent denial of service, via appending invalid data to a chosen file. Specifically, the "sslkeylogfile" connection parameter appends data, in NSS keylog format, to a file of the user's choosing. This "sslkeylogfile" mechanism cannot add arbitrary bytes. Within major version 18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.7 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 18 are also affected if libpq version 18 or later is installed and in use by the server.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
alpine/postgresql15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 15.20-r0 - Upgrade
Upgrade
alpine/postgresql16to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 16.16-r0 - Upgrade
Upgrade
alpine/postgresql17to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 17.12-r0 - Upgrade
Upgrade
alpine/postgresql18to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 18.7-r0 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 18.7
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which deployments are affected?
PostgreSQL 18 minor releases before 18.7 are affected. PostgreSQL versions before 18 are also affected when the server has libpq version 18 or later installed and in use.
What access does an attacker need?
The vector requires low-privileged access, as reflected by PR:L. The vulnerable paths are PostgreSQL dblink and CREATE or ALTER SUBSCRIPTION, where the attacker can supply the sslkeylogfile connection parameter.
What is the practical impact?
An attacker can append NSS keylog-format data to a file they choose, potentially causing persistent denial of service. The mechanism cannot write arbitrary bytes, so the described impact is file corruption through constrained appended content rather than unrestricted file overwrite.
What should be prioritized for remediation?
Upgrade PostgreSQL 18 installations to 18.7 or later. For servers running PostgreSQL before 18, determine whether libpq 18 or later is installed and used by the server, because that condition makes those deployments affected.