VulnerabilityPublished 13 Aug 2026Updated 29 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-18024: PostgreSQL · Buffer Over-read

Affects PostgreSQLSource CVE Database V5

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Mentioned vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-2006

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.3 Medium · fixed in 18.6 : update PostgreSQL when convenient.

Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.3Medium

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

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 23% 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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
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: 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: None: There is no loss of integrity within 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

A fix is available in PostgreSQL versions 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 and later. Users should upgrade to these or later versions to remediate this vulnerability. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.

Description

CVE-2026-18024 is a buffer over-read vulnerability in the PostgreSQL ascii() SQL function. It allows a user with limited privileges to read up to 3 bytes beyond the allocated memory by supplying a crafted text value. This vulnerability affects multiple PostgreSQL versions prior to 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24. The issue is similar to a previously fixed vulnerability (CVE-2026-2006) but with less impact. The CVSS score is 4.3, indicating a medium severity level.

Impact

An attacker with limited privileges can exploit this vulnerability to read a small amount of memory beyond the allocated buffer, potentially disclosing sensitive information. There is no impact on data integrity or availability. The confidentiality impact is limited to a few bytes of memory disclosure.

Summary

This vulnerability involves a buffer over-read in the ascii() function of PostgreSQL, which can disclose up to 3 bytes beyond the intended memory allocation when processing a crafted text input. It affects PostgreSQL versions before 18.6, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24. The vulnerability is of lower impact compared to a similar prior issue (CVE-2026-2006). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting limited confidentiality impact, no integrity or availability impact, and requiring network access with low complexity and low privileges.

References

postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-18024/ (opens in a new tab)

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Affected software

Description

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

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