CVE-2026-7818

pgAdmin 4: Unsafe deserialization (CWE-502) in file-backed session manager leads to remote code execution

Published May 11, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 7.3 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502) in pgAdmin 4 FileBackedSessionManager.

The session manager performed unsafe deserialization of session-file contents (using Python's standard object-serialization module) before performing any HMAC integrity check. Any file dropped into the sessions directory was deserialized unconditionally. An authenticated user with write access to the sessions directory (whether by misconfiguration or in combination with another path-traversal flaw) could plant a crafted serialized payload to achieve operating-system level remote code execution under the pgAdmin process identity.

Fix prepends a 64-byte hex SHA-256 HMAC over the session body, computed with SECRET_KEY, and verifies it via hmac.compare_digest before any deserialization. The check is raised (rather than asserted) on empty SECRET_KEY so it is not stripped under -O.

This issue affects pgAdmin 4: before 9.15.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Github GHSA Github GHSA GHSA-4rhg-h8f2-v4jm pgAdmin 4 has deserialization of untrusted data in its FileBackedSessionManager
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:pgadmin:pgadmin_4:*:*:*:*:*:postgresql:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Pgadmin
Pgadmin pgadmin 4
Vendors & Products Pgadmin
Pgadmin pgadmin 4
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-502
Metrics ssvc

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

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502) in pgAdmin 4 FileBackedSessionManager. The session manager performed unsafe deserialization of session-file contents (using Python's standard object-serialization module) before performing any HMAC integrity check. Any file dropped into the sessions directory was deserialized unconditionally. An authenticated user with write access to the sessions directory (whether by misconfiguration or in combination with another path-traversal flaw) could plant a crafted serialized payload to achieve operating-system level remote code execution under the pgAdmin process identity. Fix prepends a 64-byte hex SHA-256 HMAC over the session body, computed with SECRET_KEY, and verifies it via hmac.compare_digest before any deserialization. The check is raised (rather than asserted) on empty SECRET_KEY so it is not stripped under -O. This issue affects pgAdmin 4: before 9.15.
Title pgAdmin 4: Unsafe deserialization (CWE-502) in file-backed session manager leads to remote code execution
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 7.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
PostgreSQL
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 4:07 PM
Reserved
May 4, 2026, 9:26 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
May 11, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Oct 26, 2026, 6:10 PM