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PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2007-3279

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-06-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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 the PL/pgSQL (plpgsql) language has been created, grants certain plpgsql privileges to the PUBLIC domain, which allows remote attackers to create and execute functions, as demonstrated by functions that perform local brute-force password guessing attacks, which may evade intrusion detection.

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

When PL/pgSQL is created in PostgreSQL 8.1 and later, it grants certain privileges to the PUBLIC domain, allowing any database user to create and execute functions. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code for malicious purposes such as local brute-force password guessing that evades intrusion detection.

MitigationRevoke unnecessary privileges from PUBLIC on the plpgsql language and restrict function creation/execution to only authorized, authenticated users through proper role management.

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:= 8.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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. Identify installed PostgreSQL version
    Run: SELECT version(); or psql --version
    Affected if Version is 8.1.x (the specific affected version)
  2. Verify PL/pgSQL language exists
    Run: SELECT lanname FROM pg_language WHERE lanname = 'plpgsql';
    Affected if plpgsql language is installed in the database
  3. Inspect PUBLIC privileges on plpgsql
    Run: SELECT * FROM pg_languageacl WHERE lanname = 'plpgsql'; or \du plpgsql in psql
    Affected if PUBLIC or everyone has CREATE or EXECUTE privileges on the plpgsql language
  4. Check for PUBLIC function creation privileges
    Run: SELECT has_schema_privilege('public', 'CREATE') or examine pg_default_acl for public schema
    Affected if PUBLIC has privilege to create functions in the public schema
  5. Detect unauthorized user-created functions
    Query: SELECT proname, pronamespace::regnamespace as schema, proowner::regrole FROM pg_proc WHERE proowner NOT IN (SELECT oid FROM pg_roles WHERE rolsuper=true);
    Affected if Non-superuser accounts have created functions, especially in public schema

If running PostgreSQL 8.1 and the plpgsql language grants CREATE or EXECUTE privileges to PUBLIC, any database user can create and execute arbitrary functions, indicating the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Revoke unnecessary privileges from PUBLIC on the plpgsql language and restrict function creation/execution to only authorized, authenticated users through proper role management.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to PostgreSQL 8.2 or later (8.3+ recommended, or current stable release)

  1. Connect to PostgreSQL as a superuser (postgres)
  2. Execute: REVOKE ALL ON LANGUAGE plpgsql FROM PUBLIC;
  3. Execute: GRANT EXECUTE ON LANGUAGE plpgsql TO <authorized_users>;
  4. Verify the changes by running: \dd- or checking pg_language catalog
  5. Restart any affected services or connections to ensure changes take effect
Caveat Applications using PUBLIC-executable plpgsql functions will need explicit grants; test thoroughly before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

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-2007-3279 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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