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PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2007-3278

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-06-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.3.21 / 7.4.19 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
PostgreSQL 8.1 and probably later versions, when local trust authentication is enabled and the Database Link library (dblink) is installed, allows remote attackers to access arbitrary accounts and execute arbitrary SQL queries via a dblink host parameter that proxies the connection from 127.0.0.1.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In PostgreSQL 8.1+, when local trust authentication is configured (allowing passwordless connections from localhost) and the dblink extension is installed, remote attackers can exploit dblink's host parameter to proxy connections from 127.0.0.1, effectively bypassing trust authentication and executing arbitrary SQL as any database user.

MitigationDisable trust authentication for local connections in pg_hba.conf, replacing it with md5 or scram-sha-256 password authentication. Alternatively, remove the dblink extension if not required, or restrict its usage via permissions.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore
Affected:>= 7.3, < 7.3.21>= 7.4, < 7.4.19>= 8.0, < 8.0.15>= 8.1, < 8.1.11>= 8.2, < 8.2.6
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 3.1= 4.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check PostgreSQL version
    Run 'psql --version' or 'SELECT version();' to get the installed PostgreSQL version
    Affected if Version is >= 7.3 and < 7.3.21, OR >= 7.4 and < 7.4.19, OR >= 8.0 and < 8.0.15, OR >= 8.1 and < 8.1.11, OR >= 8.2 and < 8.2.6
  2. Check if dblink extension exists
    Run 'SELECT * FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'dblink';' or check for the dblink functions in pg_proc
    Affected if dblink extension is installed and available in any database
  3. Inspect pg_hba.conf for trust authentication
    Examine the pg_hba.conf file (typically in the data directory) and look for entries with 'trust' authentication method for connections from 127.0.0.1, ::1, or local socket
    Affected if Any 'trust' authentication rule exists for localhost connections (127.0.0.1/32, ::1/128, or local socket)

The environment is affected if the PostgreSQL version is in the vulnerable range, dblink extension is installed, and pg_hba.conf contains trust authentication for localhost connections.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.3.21 / 7.4.19 / 8.0.15 or later
Fixed in 7.3.217.4.198.0.15
Interim mitigation

Disable trust authentication for local connections in pg_hba.conf, replacing it with md5 or scram-sha-256 password authentication. Alternatively, remove the dblink extension if not required, or restrict its usage via permissions.

Fix this in PostgreSQL Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-3278 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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