CVE-2026-6471: PostgreSQL logical decoding can dlopen arbitrary file

Severity: high (CVSS 7.2 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.5% 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-862

Description

Missing authorization in PostgreSQL logical decoding allows a non-superuser holding REPLICATION privilege to dlopen any file visible to the operating system account running the server, via the choice of logical decoding plugin. This in turn runs arbitrary code as that account. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are affected.

Affected products

PostgreSQL: from 14.0 before 14.24; from 15.0 before 15.19; from 16.0 before 16.15; from 17.0 before 17.11; from 18.0 before 18.5 — fixed in 14.24, 15.19, 16.15, 17.11, 18.5

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: PostgreSQL 14.24, 15.19, 16.15, 17.11. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-6471/

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