dbcve.org
PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2007-3280

HIGH · 9.0 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 →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
The Database Link library (dblink) in PostgreSQL 8.1 implements functions via CREATE statements that map to arbitrary libraries based on the C programming language, which allows remote authenticated superusers to map and execute a function from any library, as demonstrated by using the system function in libc.so.6 to gain shell access.

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

The dblink extension in PostgreSQL 8.1 allows authenticated superusers to create functions that map to arbitrary C library functions via CREATE FUNCTION statements, enabling execution of functions like system() from libc.so.6 for shell access.

MitigationUpgrade from PostgreSQL 8.1 to a supported version that addresses this vulnerability, and restrict superuser access and dblink permissions to trusted users only.

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
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/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 'psql --version' or query 'SELECT version();' to obtain the PostgreSQL server version
    Affected if The installed version is PostgreSQL 8.1.x
  2. Verify dblink extension availability
    Run 'SELECT * FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'dblink';' or check if dblink is listed in pg_available_extensions
    Affected if dblink extension exists and is installed on the system
  3. Confirm superuser access exists
    Query 'SELECT rolname FROM pg_roles WHERE rolsuper = true;' to list superuser accounts
    Affected if Any superuser account exists in the database (including the postgres default superuser)
  4. Check for user-defined functions linking to external C libraries
    Query 'SELECT proname, prosrc FROM pg_proc WHERE prolang = (SELECT oid FROM pg_language WHERE lanname = 'c');' to see C-language functions, or check for functions using libc
    Affected if Functions are defined that link to system libraries like libc.so.6 allowing arbitrary code execution

You are affected if running PostgreSQL 8.1 with the dblink extension installed and a superuser account can define C-language functions that execute system library calls.

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

Upgrade from PostgreSQL 8.1 to a supported version that addresses this vulnerability, and restrict superuser access and dblink permissions to trusted users only.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

PostgreSQL 8.2 or later (8.3/8.4 recommended, or current stable release)

  1. 1. Back up your PostgreSQL 8.1 database completely using pg_dumpall or similar tools
  2. 2. Install PostgreSQL 8.2 or a later stable release (8.3, 8.4, or current stable series)
  3. 3. Initialize a new database cluster using initdb
  4. 4. Restore your database backup using psql
  5. 5. Verify that dblink functionality works as expected in the new version
  6. 6. Update client applications and connection strings to point to the new PostgreSQL server
Caveat PostgreSQL 8.2+ has differences in certain features, functions, and configuration parameters; review release notes for backward compatibility notes and 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
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2007-3280 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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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