dbcve.org
PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2013-1900

HIGH · 8.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-04-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
91/100
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
PostgreSQL 9.2.x before 9.2.4, 9.1.x before 9.1.9, 9.0.x before 9.0.13, and 8.4.x before 8.4.17, when using OpenSSL, generates insufficiently random numbers, which might allow remote authenticated users to have an unspecified impact via vectors related to the "contrib/pgcrypto functions."

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

PostgreSQL's pgcrypto contrib module uses OpenSSL for cryptographic functions but generates insufficiently random numbers. This cryptographic weakness in random number generation could allow authenticated remote users to predict or derive cryptographic values used in encryption, decryption, or password hashing operations, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or session compromise.

MitigationUpgrade PostgreSQL to version 9.2.4, 9.1.9, 9.0.13, or 8.4.17 or later to obtain the patched random number generation implementation. Alternatively, apply the vendor security patches for the affected versions.

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:= 9.2= 9.2.1= 9.2.2= 9.2.3= 9.1= 9.1.1= 9.1.2= 9.1.3= 9.1.4= 9.1.5= 9.1.6= 9.1.7
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.04= 10.04= 11.10= 12.04= 12.10

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
M
Authentication
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/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. Determine installed PostgreSQL version
    Run 'SELECT version();' in psql or check with 'pg_config --version'
    Affected if Version matches 9.2.x through 9.2.3 or 9.1.x through 9.1.7 (including point releases like 9.2, 9.2.1, 9.1, 9.1.5, etc.)
  2. Verify pgcrypto extension is installed
    Run 'SELECT * FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'pgcrypto';' in psql, or check for pgcrypto.so in the PostgreSQL lib directory
    Affected if pgcrypto extension exists and is enabled
  3. Confirm OpenSSL backend is in use
    Check PostgreSQL was compiled with OpenSSL support by running 'SELECT * FROM pg_config;' and looking for OpenSSL libraries, or check if gen_random_bytes() function exists by running 'SELECT gen_random_bytes(1);'
    Affected if OpenSSL is linked and available to PostgreSQL (function executes without error)
  4. Identify pgcrypto cryptographic operations in use
    Review database for use of pgcrypto functions: pgp_sym_encrypt, pgp_pub_decrypt, crypt(), or gen_random_bytes() by querying pg_proc or inspecting application code
    Affected if Any of these functions are used for encryption, decryption, or password hashing with the vulnerable pgcrypto module

User is affected if running PostgreSQL versions 9.1.x through 9.1.7 or 9.2.x through 9.2.3, with pgcrypto extension enabled and OpenSSL backend in use for cryptographic operations.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade PostgreSQL to version 9.2.4, 9.1.9, 9.0.13, or 8.4.17 or later to obtain the patched random number generation implementation. Alternatively, apply the vendor security patches for the affected versions.

Fix this in PostgreSQL Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1900 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2013-1900 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data