CVE-2025-2291: PgBouncer · Use of a Key Past its Expiration Date
Affects PgBouncerSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 30% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Apr 2025
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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| PgBouncer | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-2291, organizations should: 1) Monitor PgBouncer vendor channels for official patches addressing this vulnerability and apply updates promptly once available. 2) In the interim, implement additional authentication layers such as network-level access controls, VPNs, or firewall rules to restrict PgBouncer access to trusted hosts. 3) Enforce strict monitoring and alerting on database authentication logs to detect anomalous login attempts, especially those using expired credentials. 4) Review and tighten password management policies, including reducing password validity periods and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible. 5) Consider disabling PgBouncer's auth_query feature if feasible or configuring it to perform additional validation checks externally. 6) Conduct regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on database access controls. 7) Educate database administrators and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid response. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on compensating controls and proactive detection until a patch is deployed.
Description
Password can be used past expiry in PgBouncer due to auth_query not taking into account Postgres its VALID UNTIL value, which allows an attacker to log in with an already expired password