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CVE-2025-2506: CWE-862 Missing Authorization in EnterpriseDB pglogical

Medium
VulnerabilityCVE-2025-2506cvecve-2025-2506cwe-862
Published: Thu May 22 2025 (05/22/2025, 15:22:20 UTC)
Source: CVE
Vendor/Project: EnterpriseDB
Product: pglogical

Description

When pglogical attempts to replicate data, it does not verify it is using a replication connection, which means a user with CONNECT access to a database configured for replication can execute the pglogical command to obtain read access to replicated tables. When pglogical runs it should verify it is running on a replication connection but does not perform this check. This vulnerability was introduced in the pglogical 3.x codebase, which is proprietary to EDB. The same code base has been integrated into BDR/PGD 4 and 5. To exploit the vulnerability the attacker needs at least CONNECT permissions to a database configured for replication and must understand a number of pglogical3/BDR specific commands and be able to decode the binary protocol.

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 07/08/2025, 08:27:34 UTC

Technical Analysis

CVE-2025-2506 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting EnterpriseDB's proprietary pglogical 3.x codebase, which is also integrated into BDR/PGD versions 4 and 5. The vulnerability arises from a missing authorization check during replication operations. Specifically, when pglogical attempts to replicate data, it fails to verify that the connection used is a replication connection. This omission allows any user with CONNECT privileges to a database configured for replication to execute pglogical-specific commands and gain unauthorized read access to replicated tables. Exploitation requires the attacker to have at least CONNECT permissions on the target database, knowledge of pglogical3/BDR-specific commands, and the ability to decode the binary protocol used by pglogical. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and does not allow modification or deletion of data, but it compromises confidentiality by exposing replicated data to unauthorized users. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting network attack vector, high attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality impact, and no integrity or availability impact. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. This vulnerability was introduced in the pglogical 3.x codebase and affects EnterpriseDB's proprietary replication solution for PostgreSQL, widely used for logical replication in enterprise environments.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the primary impact is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive replicated data within databases using EnterpriseDB's pglogical replication technology. This could lead to exposure of confidential business information, customer data, or intellectual property. Since the vulnerability only requires CONNECT privileges, which are commonly granted to application users or internal staff, the attack surface is significant if access controls are not tightly managed. The lack of integrity or availability impact means data cannot be altered or deleted via this vulnerability, but confidentiality breaches can still have severe regulatory and reputational consequences, especially under GDPR and other data protection laws prevalent in Europe. Organizations relying on pglogical for replication in critical systems such as financial services, healthcare, or government sectors may face increased risk of data leakage. The absence of known exploits provides a window for mitigation, but the complexity of exploitation (needing protocol decoding and command knowledge) may limit widespread attacks in the short term.

Mitigation Recommendations

1. Restrict CONNECT privileges strictly to trusted users and service accounts only, minimizing the number of users who can access databases configured for replication. 2. Implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to replication-enabled databases to only authorized hosts and users. 3. Monitor database logs for unusual pglogical command usage or connections from unexpected users. 4. Employ role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce least privilege principles on database users. 5. Coordinate with EnterpriseDB for timely patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and plan for immediate deployment once available. 6. Consider disabling pglogical replication temporarily if feasible until a patch is applied, especially in high-risk environments. 7. Use encryption at rest and in transit to protect data confidentiality beyond database-level controls. 8. Conduct internal audits of replication configurations and user privileges to identify and remediate potential exposure points.

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Technical Details

Data Version
5.1
Assigner Short Name
EDB
Date Reserved
2025-03-18T17:44:43.489Z
Cisa Enriched
false
Cvss Version
3.1
State
PUBLISHED

Threat ID: 682f44a50acd01a249262087

Added to database: 5/22/2025, 3:37:09 PM

Last enriched: 7/8/2025, 8:27:34 AM

Last updated: 8/14/2025, 4:50:47 PM

Views: 22

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