ALPINE-CVE-2026-6460: High severity alpine/postgresql15 vulnerability
Type confusion in PostgreSQL allows an object creator to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database, via ALTER ... SET DATA TYPE primarily. Other DDL attack routes exist, such as "ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN; ROLLBACK; ALTER TABLE ... ADD COLUMN". The system had inadequate tracking of typed values, and values were not self-identifying. Stale values could appear in data dictionary entries, PL/pgSQL variables, and many other parts of the system. PostgreSQL Versions before PostgreSQL 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, and 14.25 are affected.
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 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 17.12 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 16.16 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 15.20 - Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 14.25
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which PostgreSQL releases contain the fix?
The issue is fixed in PostgreSQL 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, and 14.25. Earlier releases in those version lines are affected.
What level of database access does an attacker need?
An attacker needs privileges to create objects. Exploitation can use DDL operations including ALTER ... SET DATA TYPE; other DDL sequences may also be usable.
What does successful exploitation allow?
Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution as the operating system user running the PostgreSQL database server. This can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of resources accessible to that OS account.