#VU9169 Improper access control in PostgreSQL - CVE-2017-12172

Vulnerability identifier: #VU9169

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 1.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2017-12172

CWE-ID: CWE-264

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
PostgreSQL
Server applications / Database software

Vendor: PostgreSQL Global Development Group

Description
The vulnerability allows a local attacker to cause DoS condition or obtain potentially sensitive information on a targeted system.

The weakness exists due to a flaw in certain non-default startup scripts. A local attacker with the privileges of the database server can create a symbolic link from the $PGLOG file to a critical file and modify the target file.

Mitigation
Update to version 9.6.6.

Vulnerable software versions

PostgreSQL: 9.4.0 - 9.4.13, 9.5.0 - 9.5.8, 9.6.0 - 9.6.5

---

External links
https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/release-9-6-6.html

---

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.