Local privilege escalation via passwordless PostgreSQL trust
Published Feb 3, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Privilege escalation in IBM Security Verify Access 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.6.1 allows local users to compromise its PostgreSQL database. The verify-access-runtime bootstrap script runs initdb with trust authentication, permitting passwordless local connections as www-data. Local access to the runtime container is required, and the published assessment limits the consequence to disclosure through database compromise.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in IBM Security Verify Access 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.6.1 allows local users to compromise its PostgreSQL database. The verify-access-runtime bootstrap script runs initdb with trust authentication, permitting passwordless local connections as www-data. Local access to the runtime container is required, and the published assessment limits the consequence to disclosure through database compromise.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-31005
- Published
- Feb 3, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- IBM
- Product
- IBM Security Verify Access Appliance
- Classifications
- CWE-269, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 3, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.0.0 <=10.0.6.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Lack of authentication in Postgres inside verify-access-runtimeproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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