Pgadmin 4Application · Pgadmin
CVE-2022-4223
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 · uneditedThe pgAdmin server includes an HTTP API that is intended to be used to validate the path a user selects to external PostgreSQL utilities such as pg_dump and pg_restore. The utility is executed by the server to determine what PostgreSQL version it is from. Versions of pgAdmin prior to 6.17 failed to properly secure this API, which could allow an unauthenticated user to call it with a path of their choosing, such as a UNC path to a server they control on a Windows machine. This would cause an appropriately named executable in the target path to be executed by the pgAdmin server.
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 confidencepgAdmin versions prior to 6.17 had an insecure HTTP API endpoint for validating paths to external PostgreSQL utilities (pg_dump, pg_restore). This API allowed unauthenticated users to specify arbitrary paths, including UNC paths on Windows systems. When an attacker supplies a path containing a maliciously named executable, the pgAdmin server will execute that binary, enabling unauthenticated remote code execution.
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
Pgadmin 4Application
< 6.17
FedoraOperating system
= 37CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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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Identify installed pgAdmin 4 versionRun 'pip show pgadmin4' or check the version in the pgAdmin server interface under Help > About. On Linux, also check the package manager: 'rpm -qa | grep pgadmin' or 'dpkg -l | grep pgadmin'.Affected if The installed version is prior to 6.17 (e.g., 6.16, 6.15, etc.)
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Confirm pgAdmin web server is network accessibleCheck if the pgAdmin interface (default port 5050 or 80/443) is listening on external interfaces and accessible from untrusted networks. Review firewall rules and binding configuration in pgAdmin config files.Affected if pgAdmin HTTP interface is exposed to untrusted networks without authentication barriers
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Verify external utilities path validation feature is enabledInspect pgAdmin configuration (config_local.py or config.py) for settings related to tool paths (pg_dump, pg_restore). Check if the path validation endpoint is accessible at /misc/view/validate_path.Affected if The validate_path API endpoint is enabled and accepts user-supplied paths without authentication
You are affected if pgAdmin 4 version is below 6.17 AND the validate_path API endpoint is accessible to unauthenticated users, allowing them to supply arbitrary executable paths including UNC paths for remote code execution.
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.
dbcve · scoped6.17
Upgrade pgAdmin to version 6.17 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the pgAdmin server and disable any unnecessary API endpoints at the network perimeter.
pgAdmin 4 version 6.17 or later
- Backup your pgAdmin 4 configuration and any existing databases
- Stop the pgAdmin 4 server if it is running
- If installed via pip, run: pip install --upgrade pgadmin4==6.17 (or a later version)
- If using containers, update to a container image tag for version 6.17 or later (e.g., dpage/pgadmin4:6.17 or latest)
- If using system packages on Fedora, wait for the package repository to provide the updated package or manually install the fixed RPM
- Restart the pgAdmin 4 server
- Verify the server starts successfully and is running version 6.17 or later by checking the login page footer or /misc/info endpoint
- Test that external tool paths work correctly with the fixed version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Pgadmin 4
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $2,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-4223 — 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-2022-4223 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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