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🛡️ CVE-2026-6478 — postgresql

🟡 CVSS 5.0 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit CWE-385 OSV
5.0
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

PostgreSQL discloses MD5-hashed passwords via covert timing channel

Covert timing channel in comparison of MD5-hashed password in PostgreSQL authentication allows an attacker to recover user credentials sufficient to authenticate. This does not affect scram-sha-256 passwords, the default in all supported releases. However, current databases may have MD5-hashed passwords originating in upgrades from PostgreSQL 13 or earlier. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.4, 17.10, 16.14, 15.18, and 14.23 are affected.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached over the network, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs no privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality low, integrity low, availability none.

CVSS metrics in full

The score comes from this vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

  • Attack vector: Network — reachable from anywhere that can route to the service.
  • Attack complexity: Low — the attack works reliably, with no preparation.
  • Privileges required: None — an unauthenticated stranger can try it.
  • User interaction: None — nobody has to be tricked into anything.
  • Scope: Unchanged — the damage stays inside the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: Low — limited, and the attacker does not choose what is affected.
  • Integrity impact: Low — limited, and the attacker does not choose what is affected.
  • Availability impact: None.

Weakness class

CVE-2026-6478 is classified as CWE-385: Covert Timing Channel. Covert timing channels convey information by modulating some aspect of system behavior over time, so that the program receiving the information can observe system behavior and infer protected information.

Affected software

CVE-2026-6478 is recorded against 1 package.

  • postgresql

Timeline and source

Published on 18 May 2026 and last revised on 17 August 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from OSV.

References

nvd.nist.gov (Web)
www.postgresql.org (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
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access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
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access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
bugzilla.redhat.com (Web)
security.access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)
access.redhat.com (Web)

Other advisories for this package

postgresql has other advisories on record. If you are patching this one, these are worth checking on the same host:

Same weakness in other software

These advisories are the same class of weakness (CWE-385: Covert Timing Channel) in other software:

CVE-2026-6478 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity MEDIUM
CVSS Score 5.0
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
CWE CWE-385
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source OSV
Published 2026-05-18
Updated 2026-08-20
Modified 2026-08-17

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
postgresql

References

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