VulnerabilityPublished 13 Aug 2026Updated 29 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-14663: PostgreSQL · Cleartext Storage in a File or on Disk

Affects PostgreSQLSource CVE Database V5

Compare

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium · fixed in 18.6 : update PostgreSQL when convenient.

Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 18.6, 17.11, 16.15 +3

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
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: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
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 13 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 13 Nov 2026.

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.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity 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
PostgreSQL	Affected >=18 <18.6	Fixed in 18.6
PostgreSQL	Affected >=17 <17.11	Fixed in 17.11
PostgreSQL	Affected >=16 <16.15	Fixed in 16.15
PostgreSQL	Affected >=15 <15.19	Fixed in 15.19
PostgreSQL	Affected <14.24	Fixed in 14.24
Postgresqlpostgresql/postgresql`pkg:deb/postgresql/postgresql`Other threats	Affected <14.24 <15.19 <16.15 <17.11 <18.5	Fixed in 14.24 15.19 16.15 17.11 18.5

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

AI-suggested

If you cannot patch yet, users should review their OpenSSL configuration to ensure no disabled ciphers that could trigger this vulnerability are in use and consider limiting the use of affected pgcrypto functions.

Description

CVE-2026-14663 is a vulnerability in PostgreSQL's pgcrypto module where cleartext data can be recovered due to disabled ciphers in OpenSSL. This flaw affects multiple encryption and decryption functions, allowing decryption to succeed even with incorrect keys, thereby bypassing the Modification Detection Code (MDC) protection. Versions prior to PostgreSQL 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are affected. The vulnerability has a medium severity with a CVSS score of 6.5.

Impact

An attacker can recover cleartext data by observing faulty ciphertext due to the acceptance of encrypted data that decrypts successfully even with incorrect keys. This undermines the modest protection offered by the Modification Detection Code (MDC), potentially exposing sensitive information stored using pgcrypto encryption functions.

Summary

The vulnerability arises from cleartext storage in PostgreSQL's pgcrypto module when certain ciphers are disabled in OpenSSL. Because of this, encrypted data can be decrypted incorrectly but still produce output, losing the integrity protection normally provided by the Modification Detection Code (MDC). Affected functions include pgp_sym_encrypt, pgp_sym_decrypt, pgp_pub_encrypt, pgp_pub_decrypt, and their bytea variants. The OpenSSL version and configuration determine which ciphers are disabled, influencing the vulnerability's presence. This issue affects PostgreSQL versions before 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24.

References

postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-14663/ (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 13 Sep 2026, 13:04 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats