CVE-2026-19888

NULL pointer dereference in SCRAM client-final-message parsing in PgBouncer

Published Sep 23, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7.5 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Missing validation of a mandatory attribute in the SCRAM client-final-message parser in PgBouncer through 1.25.2 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the process. A malformed message can make the parser report success while leaving a required value unset, which is then dereferenced as a NULL pointer. The crash occurs before any credential is verified, so no valid account is required. Because PgBouncer serves all clients from a single process, this terminates every pooled connection.

Remediation

Vendor Workaround

Restrict network access to the PgBouncer listener to trusted clients. No configuration change avoids the issue for deployments that must accept SCRAM authentication from untrusted networks, because the crash occurs before any credential is verified and PgBouncer performs a mock SCRAM exchange even for users that do not exist.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Pgbouncer
Pgbouncer pgbouncer
Vendors & Products Pgbouncer
Pgbouncer pgbouncer
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'yes', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Missing validation of a mandatory attribute in the SCRAM client-final-message parser in PgBouncer through 1.25.2 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the process. A malformed message can make the parser report success while leaving a required value unset, which is then dereferenced as a NULL pointer. The crash occurs before any credential is verified, so no valid account is required. Because PgBouncer serves all clients from a single process, this terminates every pooled connection.
Title NULL pointer dereference in SCRAM client-final-message parsing in PgBouncer
Weaknesses CWE-476
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
PostgreSQL
Published
Updated
Sep 23, 2026, 4:46 PM
Reserved
Aug 14, 2026, 4:55 PM
Status
Awaiting Analysis
Published
Sep 23, 2026, 5:17 PM
Modified
Sep 23, 2026, 7:40 PM
Severity
Important
Public date
Sep 23, 2026, 4:04 PM