Medium File handling

CVE-2017-12172 — PostgreSQL 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15, 9.3.x...

PostgreSQL 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15, 9.3.x before 9.3.20, and 9.2.x before 9.2.24 runs under a non-root operating system account, and database superusers have effective ability to run arbitrary code under that system account. PostgreSQL provides a script for starting the database server during system boot. Packages of PostgreSQL for many operating systems provide their own, packager-authored startup implementations. Several implementations use a log file name that the database superuser can replace with a symbolic link. As root, they open(), chmod() and/or chown() this log file name. This often suffices for the database superuser to escalate to root privileges when root starts the server.

Published Nov 22, 2017 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: redhat

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.6% (30-day exploitation probability)+7
Technical severity (medium)+3

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.59%

ahead of 47% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Postgresql

CVSS base

6.7

Medium · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Postgresql Postgresql, Red Hat Postgresql).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (file handling), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Postgresql	Postgresql	version 9.4.3version 9.4.12version 9.4.11version 9.4.10version 9.4.9version 9.4.8version 9.4.7version 9.4.6 and 68 more version 9.4.5version 9.4.4version 9.4.13version 9.4.2version 9.4.1version 9.4version 9.3.19version 9.3.18version 9.3.17version 9.3.16version 9.3.15version 9.5.7version 10version 9.6.5version 9.6.4version 9.6.3version 9.6.2version 9.6.1version 9.6version 9.5.9version 9.5.8version 9.2.1version 9.5.6version 9.5.5version 9.5.4version 9.5.3version 9.5.2version 9.5.1version 9.5version 9.4.14version 9.2.9version 9.2.18version 9.2.17version 9.2.16version 9.2.15version 9.2.14version 9.2.13version 9.2.12version 9.2.11version 9.2.10version 9.3.13version 9.2.8version 9.2.7version 9.2.6version 9.2.5version 9.2.4version 9.2.3version 9.2.2version 9.2version 9.2.20version 9.3.14version 9.3.12version 9.3.11version 9.3.10version 9.3.9version 9.3.8version 9.3.7version 9.3.6version 9.3.5version 9.3.4version 9.3.3version 9.3.2version 9.3.1version 9.3version 9.2.23version 9.2.22version 9.2.21version 9.2.19	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Red Hat	Postgresql	version 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15,	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

High

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
6.7	CVSS 3.0	Medium	0.8	5.9	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
6.7	CVSS 3.0	Medium	—	—	GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories
7.2	CVSS 2.0	High	3.9	10.0	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-59 · Link Following

Other CVEs with this weakness →

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).

endpoint telemetry (EDR)file integrity (FIM)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · red hat, inc./postgresql
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
Affected products added · postgresql/postgresql
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS changed · 6.7
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Modified
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
2017
CVE published
Nov 22, 2017 · redhat

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

2× References added · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

12 on the record

www.postgresql.org/about/news/1801/
Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.postgresql.org/support/security/
Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_MISC, NIST National Vulnerability Database
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3402
Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
github.com/advisories/GHSA-r936-w9vp-c53q
GitHub Security Advisories
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12172
GitHub Security Advisories
www.postgresql.org/support/security
GitHub Security Advisories
www.securitytracker.com/id/1039752
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, vdb-entry, x_refsource_SECTRACK, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.postgresql.org/about/news/1801
GitHub Security Advisories
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3403
Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
www.securityfocus.com/bid/101949
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry, vdb-entry, x_refsource_BID, NIST National Vulnerability Database
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3405
Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database
access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:3404
Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory, vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Postgresql
every CVE for this vendor

File handling
same class

CWE-59
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-6479 PostgreSQL SSL/GSS init causes denial of service, via uncontrolled recursion May 14, 2026
High CVE-2026-6475 PostgreSQL pg_basebackup and pg_rewind can overwrite unrelated files of origin superuser choice May 14, 2026
High CVE-2026-6476 PostgreSQL pg_createsubscriber allows SQL injection via subscription name May 14, 2026
High CVE-2026-6477 PostgreSQL libpq lo_* functions let server superuser overwrite client stack memory May 14, 2026
Medium CVE-2026-6478 PostgreSQL discloses MD5-hashed passwords via covert timing channel May 14, 2026
High CVE-2026-6637 PostgreSQL refint allows stack buffer overflow and SQL injection May 14, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2017-12172 is "PostgreSQL 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15, 9.3.x...", rated Medium. It affects Postgresql (Postgresql); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 6.7 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.59% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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