CVE-2026-116243 — pgAdmin 4: Utility binary path can point at a shared storage directory
pgAdmin 4 runs pg_dump, pg_restore, pg_dumpall and psql from the binary path a user sets in their preferences. In server mode the binary path was refused only when it lay under the per-user storage directory (STORAGE_DIR), not under a SHARED_STORAGE directory, which ordinary users can upload files to. A user could therefore upload an executable to shared storage, point their binary path at it, and have pgAdmin run it as the operating-system account running pgAdmin. On POSIX, files created through pgAdmin are not executable, so this is exploitable where any file with an executable name can run, such as Windows server mode. The fix checks the binary path against every SHARED_STORAGE directory as well, after expanding $DIR, collapsing ".." and resolving symbolic links, compares directories in a way a different spelling on a case-insensitive filesystem cannot bypass, refuses a path containing a NUL, and enforces the check wherever binary paths are resolved, including for the PSQL tool. This issue affects pgAdmin 4: before 9.19.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
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.
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 (Pgadmin.org pgAdmin 4).
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pgadmin.org | pgAdmin 4 | < 9.19 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.7 | CVSS 4.0 | High | — | — | PostgreSQL via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.6 | 5.9 | f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | PostgreSQL via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: f86ef6dc-4d3a-42ad-8f28-e6d5547a5007) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · pgadmin.org/pgadmin 4
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 30, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 30, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
References
2 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-116251 pgAdmin 4: A user's other sessions survive a change of their password 1d
- High CVE-2026-116249 pgAdmin 4: Connection file paths and parameter keys escape the user's storage directory 1d
- Medium CVE-2026-116250 pgAdmin 4: Files opened in a storage directory follow a symbolic link, hard link or FIFO planted after the containment check 1d
- Medium CVE-2026-116252 pgAdmin 4: Materialized view refresh redirects its connection through a crafted database name 1d
- Medium CVE-2026-116246 pgAdmin 4: Server passwords are left in pgAdmin's process environment 1d
- High CVE-2026-116244 pgAdmin 4: libpq uses the pgAdmin service account's Kerberos credentials 1d
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 FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- 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-2026-116243 is "pgAdmin 4: Utility binary path can point at a shared storage directory", rated High. It affects pgAdmin 4 (Pgadmin.org); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.