Arbitrary Code Injection in PostgreSQL Due to Untrusted Data Inclusion
CVE-2026-18408

8.8HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor

PostgreSQL
Status
Postgresql
Vendor
CVE Published:
13 August 2026

What is CVE-2026-18408?

An untrusted data inclusion vulnerability in PostgreSQL's pg_dump allows a superuser to inject arbitrary code for execution during a restore process. This security flaw arises from the improper handling of input in the psql estrict meta-command, which could enable an attacker to exploit the system by executing unauthorized commands under the privileges of the client’s operating system account. The issue affects not only pg_dump but also pg_dumpall and pg_restore when handling plain-format dumps. Versions prior to PostgreSQL 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are susceptible to this risk.

Affected Version(s)

PostgreSQL 18 < 18.6

PostgreSQL 17 < 17.11

PostgreSQL 16 < 16.15

References

https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-18408/

CVSS V3.1

Score:
8.8
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Network
Attack Complexity:
Low
Privileges Required:
None
User Interaction:
Required
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

Credit

The PostgreSQL project thanks Lucas Velgus, Filip Janus, and Daniel Bakker for reporting this problem.
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