CVE-2024-10978VulnerabilityPublished 16 Nov 2024Updated 3 Nov 2025

CVE-2024-10978: PostgreSQL · Incorrect Privilege Assignment

Affects PostgreSQLSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.2 Medium · fixed in 17.1 : update PostgreSQL when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.2Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 52% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 17.1, 16.5, 15.9 +3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: High: A successful attack depends on conditions beyond the attacker's control. That is, a successful attack cannot be accomplished at will, but requires the attacker to invest in some measurable amount of effort in preparation or execution against the vulnerable component before a successful attack can be expected. For example, a successful attack may require an attacker to: gather knowledge about the environment in which the vulnerable target/component exists; prepare the target environment to improve exploit reliability; or inject themselves into the logical network path between the target and the resource requested by the victim in order to read and/or modify network communications (e.g., a man in the middle attack).
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 16 Nov 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Postgresqlpostgresql/postgresql`pkg:deb/postgresql/postgresql`Other threats	Affected <17.1 <16.5 <15.9 <14.14 <13.17 <12.21	Fixed in 17.1 16.5 15.9 14.14 13.17 12.21

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade PostgreSQL to the fixed versions: 17.1, 16.5, 15.9, 14.14, 13.17, or 12.21 or later to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. Review and audit application code that uses SET ROLE or SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION to ensure it does not rely on current_setting('role') or current user ID for access control decisions. 3. Implement strict input validation and parameter sanitization to prevent attacker-controlled parameters from influencing queries that use role switching. 4. Avoid returning query results directly to untrusted users when role switching is involved. 5. Employ additional application-level access controls and logging to detect anomalous access patterns related to role switching. 6. Conduct penetration testing focused on role-switching scenarios to identify potential exploitation paths. 7. Monitor PostgreSQL logs for unusual SET ROLE or SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION usage. 8. Educate developers and DBAs about the risks of relying on session role settings for security decisions. 9. Consider using row-level security policies that do not depend on session role settings or current user ID functions. 10. Maintain an incident response plan to quickly address any suspected exploitation.

Description

Incorrect privilege assignment in PostgreSQL allows a less-privileged application user to view or change different rows from those intended. An attack requires the application to use SET ROLE, SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION, or an equivalent feature. The problem arises when an application query uses parameters from the attacker or conveys query results to the attacker. If that query reacts to current_setting('role') or the current user ID, it may modify or return data as though the session had not used SET ROLE or SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION. The attacker does not control which incorrect user ID applies. Query text from less-privileged sources is not a concern here, because SET ROLE and SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION are not sandboxes for unvetted queries. Versions before PostgreSQL 17.1, 16.5, 15.9, 14.14, 13.17, and 12.21 are affected.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-10978 depends largely on their use of PostgreSQL in multi-tenant or role-based access control environments where SET ROLE or SET SESSION AUTHORIZATION commands are used. Unauthorized data disclosure or modification could occur if attackers can manipulate query parameters or receive query results, potentially exposing sensitive personal data or business-critical information. This could lead to violations of GDPR and other data protection regulations, resulting in regulatory fines and reputational damage. The vulnerability does not allow privilege escalation beyond the roles assigned but can cause unauthorized access within the scope of the application’s role management. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on PostgreSQL for sensitive data storage are at higher risk. The medium severity rating suggests the impact is moderate but should not be underestimated given the potential for data leakage or integrity compromise. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for prompt remediation. The complexity of exploitation and requirement for specific application behavior limit widespread exploitation but targeted attacks against vulnerable applications remain a concern.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Nov 2025, 23:15 UTC

Technical details

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