CVE-2026-14681: PostgreSQL improper enforcement of GSSAPI encryption when coupled with SSL

Severity: medium (CVSS 4.2 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-08-13 · updated 2026-08-29
Weakness: CWE-924

Description

Improper enforcement of message integrity in PostgreSQL GSSAPI support allows a user to negotiate GSSAPI contrary to pg_hba.conf rules, via initial direct TLS connection. Despite a pg_hba.conf that appears to require GSSAPI, the connection may exchange data over TLS encryption alone. If the TLS settings are more permissive than the GSS settings, the connection may continue with lesser protection. Within major versions 17-18, minor versions before PostgreSQL 18.6 and 17.11 are affected. Versions before PostgreSQL 17 are unaffected.

Affected products

PostgreSQL: from 17.0 before 17.11; from 18.0 before 18.5 — fixed in 17.11, 18.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: PostgreSQL 17.11, 18.5. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-14681/

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