PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore
CVE-2015-5289
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 · uneditedMultiple stack-based buffer overflows in json parsing in PostgreSQL before 9.3.x before 9.3.10 and 9.4.x before 9.4.5 allow attackers to cause a denial of service (server crash) via unspecified vectors, which are not properly handled in (1) json or (2) jsonb values.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities in PostgreSQL's JSON parsing code affect versions before 9.3.10 and 9.4.5. The flaws exist in both json and jsonb data type handling, allowing specially crafted JSON input to overflow stack buffers and cause denial of service through server crashes.
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
>= 9.3.0, < 9.3.10>= 9.4.0, < 9.4.5
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 8.0= 9.0
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
= 12.04= 14.04= 15.04CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:P
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed PostgreSQL versionRun `psql --version` or `SELECT version();` to obtain the PostgreSQL server version numberAffected if The version is 9.3.0 through 9.3.9, or 9.4.0 through 9.4.4 (versions before 9.3.10 or 9.4.5)
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Check for json or jsonb column usageQuery system catalogs using `SELECT typname FROM pg_type WHERE typname IN ('json', 'jsonb');` to see if json/jsonb types exist in the databaseAffected if The database contains json or jsonb data types, which are the vulnerable components
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Identify tables using json/jsonb columnsRun `SELECT attrelid::regclass AS table_name, attname AS column_name, atttypid::regtype AS data_type FROM pg_attribute WHERE atttypid IN (SELECT oid FROM pg_type WHERE typname IN ('json', 'jsonb'));` to list tables with json/jsonb columnsAffected if Tables with json or jsonb columns exist in the database, indicating active use of the vulnerable feature
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Verify OS package version on Debian/UbuntuRun `dpkg -l postgresql` on Debian or `dpkg -l postgresql` on Ubuntu to check the installed package versionAffected if The installed package version falls within the affected version ranges listed for the specific distribution
You are affected if your PostgreSQL version is 9.3.x before 9.3.10 or 9.4.x before 9.4.5 AND your database actively uses json or jsonb data types.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 data9.3.109.4.5
Upgrade PostgreSQL to version 9.3.10, 9.4.5, or later to patch the buffer overflow vulnerabilities in JSON parsing. Consider input validation on json/jsonb columns as an additional defense-in-depth measure.
Fix this in PostgreSQL
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-5289 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-5289 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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