PostgreSQL libpq PQfn buffer overflow in lo_* before 18.4, 17.10, 16.14, 15.18
CVE-2026-6477 Published on May 14, 2026
PostgreSQL libpq lo_* functions let server superuser overwrite client stack memory
Use of inherently dangerous function PQfn(..., result_is_int=0, ...) in PostgreSQL libpq lo_export(), lo_read(), lo_lseek64(), and lo_tell64() functions allows the server superuser to overwrite a client stack buffer with an arbitrarily-large response. Like gets(), PQfn(..., result_is_int=0, ...) stores arbitrary-length, server-determined data into a buffer of unspecified size. Because both the \lo_export command in psql and pg_dump call lo_read(), the server superuser can overwrite pg_dump or psql stack memory. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.4, 17.10, 16.14, 15.18, and 14.23 are affected.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-6477 can be exploited with network access, requires user interaction and user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.
Weakness Types
Use of Inherently Dangerous Function
The program calls a function that can never be guaranteed to work safely. Certain functions behave in dangerous ways regardless of how they are used. Functions in this category were often implemented without taking security concerns into account. The gets() function is unsafe because it does not perform bounds checking on the size of its input. An attacker can easily send arbitrarily-sized input to gets() and overflow the destination buffer. Similarly, the >> operator is unsafe to use when reading into a statically-allocated character array because it does not perform bounds checking on the size of its input. An attacker can easily send arbitrarily-sized input to the >> operator and overflow the destination buffer.
What is a Classic Buffer Overflow Vulnerability?
The program copies an input buffer to an output buffer without verifying that the size of the input buffer is less than the size of the output buffer, leading to a buffer overflow. A buffer overflow condition exists when a program attempts to put more data in a buffer than it can hold, or when a program attempts to put data in a memory area outside of the boundaries of a buffer. The simplest type of error, and the most common cause of buffer overflows, is the "classic" case in which the program copies the buffer without restricting how much is copied. Other variants exist, but the existence of a classic overflow strongly suggests that the programmer is not considering even the most basic of security protections.
CVE-2026-6477 has been classified to as a Classic Buffer Overflow vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-6477
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Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.