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PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2013-1903

HIGH · 10.0 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 →
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, possibly 9.2.x before 9.2.4, 9.1.x before 9.1.9, 9.0.x before 9.0.13, 8.4.x before 8.4.17, and 8.3.x before 8.3.23 incorrectly provides the superuser password to scripts related to "graphical installers for Linux and Mac OS X," which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.

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 · moderate confidence

PostgreSQL versions 8.3.x through 9.2.x contain a flaw in graphical installers for Linux and Mac OS X where the superuser password is incorrectly passed to installer scripts, potentially exposing credentials.

MitigationUpgrade PostgreSQL to version 9.2.4, 9.1.9, 9.0.13, 8.4.17, or 8.3.23 or later. Alternatively, avoid using graphical installers and perform manual installation/configuration.

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

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 PostgreSQL version
    Run `psql --version` or check the version reported by `pg_config --version`
    Affected if Version is 9.2.0 through 9.2.3, 9.1.0 through 9.1.7, or 8.3.x through 9.0.x (before 9.0.13) or 8.4.x (before 8.4.17)
  2. Determine installation method
    Review how PostgreSQL was initially installed: check if a graphical installer (EnterpriseDB, BigSQL, or distribution-specific GUI installer) was used on Linux or Mac OS X
    Affected if Installation was performed using a graphical installer for Linux or Mac OS X and the version falls within the affected range
  3. Check for installer log files
    Look for installer log files in /tmp, the home directory, or /var/log (such as installwizard.log, installer logs, or postgresql-installer.log) that may contain the superuser password
    Affected if Installer log files exist and contain plaintext or exposed superuser credentials

A user is affected if PostgreSQL was installed via a graphical installer on Linux or Mac OS X and the installed version falls within 8.3.x through 9.2.3 (specifically 9.2.0-9.2.3, 9.1.0-9.1.7, or earlier unpatched versions), with potential credential exposure in installer logs or scripts.

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 PostgreSQL to version 9.2.4, 9.1.9, 9.0.13, 8.4.17, or 8.3.23 or later. Alternatively, avoid using graphical installers and perform manual installation/configuration.

Recommended fix High confidence

PostgreSQL 9.2.4 or later (also applicable: 9.1.9, 9.0.13, 8.4.17, 8.3.23 for respective branches)

  1. 1. Back up all PostgreSQL databases and configuration files
  2. 2. Download PostgreSQL 9.2.4 or later from the official PostgreSQL website (www.postgresql.org)
  3. 3. Stop the PostgreSQL service using: pg_ctl stop or systemctl stop postgresql
  4. 4. If using an OS package manager, update to the fixed version (e.g., yum update postgresql or apt-get install postgresql-9.2)
  5. 5. Verify the new version by running: psql --version
  6. 6. Start the PostgreSQL service: pg_ctl start or systemctl start postgresql
  7. 7. Test database connectivity and applications to ensure functionality
Caveat Upgrade to a new minor version may require testing of application compatibility; ensure backups before proceeding

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

Fix this in PostgreSQL Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2013-1903 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data