dbcve.org
Pg IvmApplication · Sraoss

CVE-2023-23554

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.5.1 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
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
Uncontrolled search path element vulnerability exists in pg_ivm versions prior to 1.5.1. When refreshing an IMMV, pg_ivm executes functions without specifying schema names. Under certain conditions, pg_ivm may be tricked to execute unexpected functions from other schemas with the IMMV owner's privilege. If this vulnerability is exploited, an unexpected function provided by an attacker may be executed with the privilege of the materialized view owner.

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

pg_ivm versions before 1.5.1 have an uncontrolled search path element vulnerability. When refreshing an IMMV (Incremental Materialized View), pg_ivm executes functions without specifying schema names, allowing an attacker to place malicious functions in schemas that PostgreSQL searches (like public) that could be executed instead of intended functions with the IMMV owner's privileges.

MitigationUpgrade pg_ivm to version 1.5.1 or later. Until then, ensure no untrusted functions exist in searchable schemas (especially public) and audit existing IMMVs and their dependent functions for potential hijacking.

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
Pg IvmApplication
Affected:< 1.5.1

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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify pg_ivm extension version
    Run SELECT extname, extversion FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'pg_ivm'; or check with psql using \dx pg_ivm
    Affected if The installed version is less than 1.5.1
  2. Check for existing IMMVs
    Query the catalog: SELECT schemaname, matviewname FROM pg_matviews WHERE schemaname NOT LIKE 'pg_%' AND schemaname != 'information_schema';
    Affected if Any IMMVs exist in the database (the vulnerability affects IMMV refresh operations)
  3. Verify PostgreSQL search path
    Run SHOW search_path; to see which schemas are searched for unqualified function calls
    Affected if The search path includes 'public' or other writable schemas where an attacker could place malicious functions
  4. Identify functions in searchable schemas
    Query SELECT proname, pronamespace::regnamespace FROM pg_proc WHERE pronamespace = (SELECT oid FROM pg_namespace WHERE nspname = 'public') AND prokind = 'f'; to list user-defined functions in the public schema
    Affected if User-defined functions exist in the public schema or other schemas in the search path, as these could be hijacked during IMMV refresh

You are affected if pg_ivm version is below 1.5.1 AND IMMVs exist in your database AND your search path includes schemas where untrusted users can create functions.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.5.1 or later
Fixed in 1.5.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade pg_ivm to version 1.5.1 or later. Until then, ensure no untrusted functions exist in searchable schemas (especially public) and audit existing IMMVs and their dependent functions for potential hijacking.

Recommended fix High confidence

pg_ivm version 1.5.1

  1. Stop any processes using pg_ivm
  2. Back up your PostgreSQL database
  3. Update pg_ivm extension to version 1.5.1 or later using your package manager or compilation
  4. Restart PostgreSQL if necessary
  5. Verify the new version is installed: SELECT pg_ivm_version();
  6. Test that IMMV refresh operations work correctly after upgrade
Caveat Review release notes for any changes to function behavior between your current version and 1.5.1

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

Fix this in Pg Ivm Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

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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-2023-23554 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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