CVE-2026-44477

CloudNativePG: Metrics exporter allows privilege escalation to PostgreSQL superuser and OS RCE

Published May 28, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 9.4 Critical EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
CloudNativePG is a platform designed to manage PostgreSQL databases within Kubernetes environments. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.28.3, the CloudNativePG metrics exporter opens its PostgreSQL connection as the postgres superuser via the pod-local Unix socket, then demotes the session with SET ROLE pg_monitor. SET ROLE changes only current_user; session_user remains postgres. Any SQL expression evaluated inside the scrape session can invoke RESET ROLE to recover real superuser privileges, then use COPY ... TO PROGRAM to spawn an OS-level subprocess as the postgres user inside the primary pod. The READ ONLY transaction flag does not block this; it gates writes to database state, not external processes. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.29.1 and 1.28.3.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-423p-g724-fr39 CloudNativePG's metrics exporter allows privilege escalation to PostgreSQL superuser and OS RCE
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linuxfoundation
Linuxfoundation cloudnativepg
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:linuxfoundation:cloudnativepg:*:*:*:*:*:kubernetes:*:*
Vendors & Products Linuxfoundation
Linuxfoundation cloudnativepg
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 9.9, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Important

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Cloudnative-pg
Cloudnative-pg cloudnative-pg
Vendors & Products Cloudnative-pg
Cloudnative-pg cloudnative-pg
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description CloudNativePG is a platform designed to manage PostgreSQL databases within Kubernetes environments. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.28.3, the CloudNativePG metrics exporter opens its PostgreSQL connection as the postgres superuser via the pod-local Unix socket, then demotes the session with SET ROLE pg_monitor. SET ROLE changes only current_user; session_user remains postgres. Any SQL expression evaluated inside the scrape session can invoke RESET ROLE to recover real superuser privileges, then use COPY ... TO PROGRAM to spawn an OS-level subprocess as the postgres user inside the primary pod. The READ ONLY transaction flag does not block this; it gates writes to database state, not external processes. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.29.1 and 1.28.3.
Title CloudNativePG: Metrics exporter allows privilege escalation to PostgreSQL superuser and OS RCE
Weaknesses CWE-250
CWE-271
CWE-426
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 9.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
GitHub_M
Published
Updated
Jul 15, 2026, 12:54 AM
Reserved
May 6, 2026, 5:18 PM
Status
Modified
Published
May 28, 2026, 5:16 PM
Modified
Jul 15, 2026, 2:21 AM
Severity
Important
Public date
May 28, 2026, 3:46 PM