dbcve.org
PostgreSQLDatabase / datastore

CVE-2026-2006

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 14.21 / 15.16 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
Missing validation of multibyte character length in PostgreSQL text manipulation allows a database user to issue crafted queries that achieve a buffer overrun. That suffices to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.2, 17.8, 16.12, 15.16, and 14.21 are affected.

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

Missing validation of multibyte character length in PostgreSQL text manipulation functions allows authenticated database users to craft malicious queries that trigger a buffer overrun, enabling arbitrary code execution as the operating system user running the database (typically postgres).

MitigationUpgrade PostgreSQL to version 18.2, 17.8, 16.12, 15.16, 14.21 or later. Prioritize based on environment exposure and criticality.

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:>= 14.0, < 14.21>= 15.0, < 15.16>= 16.0, < 16.12>= 17.0, < 17.8>= 18.0, < 18.2

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 the installed PostgreSQL version
    Run 'SELECT version();' as a database superuser or execute 'postgres --version' from the command line
    Affected if The version falls within one of these ranges: 14.0-14.21, 15.0-15.16, 16.0-16.12, 17.0-17.8, or 18.0-18.2
  2. Verify database encoding configuration
    Execute 'SHOW server_encoding;' and 'SHOW client_encoding;' in psql or via SELECT
    Affected if Either server_encoding or client_encoding is set to a multibyte encoding such as UTF8, EUC_JP, or other multibyte character sets
  3. Confirm text manipulation functions are in use
    Review application queries and recent logs for use of text functions like concatenation (||), substring, trim, or similar functions operating on user-supplied string data
    Affected if The database executes text manipulation functions against data containing multibyte characters, particularly where user input flows into these functions

You are affected if your PostgreSQL version is within the vulnerable ranges AND your database uses multibyte character encoding AND text manipulation functions process multibyte character data.

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 14.21 / 15.16 / 16.12 or later
Fixed in 14.2115.1616.12
Interim mitigation

Upgrade PostgreSQL to version 18.2, 17.8, 16.12, 15.16, 14.21 or later. Prioritize based on environment exposure and criticality.

Recommended fix High confidence

PostgreSQL 14.21, 15.16, 16.12, 17.8, or 18.2 (depending on your target major version)

  1. 1. Identify the current PostgreSQL version by running: SELECT version();
  2. 2. Determine your major version branch (14, 15, 16, or 17)
  3. 3. Stop the PostgreSQL service: sudo systemctl stop postgresql (or appropriate service command for your system)
  4. 4. Back up all databases using pg_dumpall or your preferred backup method
  5. 5. Install the appropriate fixed version for your major branch: 14.21, 15.16, 16.12, or 17.8 (or 18.2 if upgrading to version 18)
  6. 6. If using a package manager (yum/apt), update with: sudo yum update postgresql<version> or sudo apt-get install postgresql-<version>
  7. 7. After installation, start the PostgreSQL service: sudo systemctl start postgresql
  8. 8. Verify the new version is running: SELECT version();
Caveat Minor version upgrades typically have low risk, but always review release notes for any deprecated features or behavioral changes before upgrading production systems

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

Fix this in PostgreSQL Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,800
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,080.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-2006 — 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-2026-2006 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