Extension-worker denial of service via unauthorized signaling
Published Dec 10, 2023 · Updated Mar 2, 2026
Authorization flaw in PostgreSQL 11 through 16 allows remote authenticated users with pg_signal_backend to interrupt extension workers. The signaling authorization path excludes background workers from the documented protection for superuser-owned backends, allowing the role to terminate them. Exploitation requires a non-core extension with a background worker that does not automatically restart, and only that worker suffers a service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Authorization flaw in PostgreSQL 11 through 16 allows remote authenticated users with pg_signal_backend to interrupt extension workers. The signaling authorization path excludes background workers from the documented protection for superuser-owned backends, allowing the role to terminate them. Exploitation requires a non-core extension with a background worker that does not automatically restart, and only that worker suffers a service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-5870
- Published
- Dec 10, 2023
- Updated
- Mar 2, 2026
- Vendor
- Red Hat
- Product
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes
- Classifications
- CWE-400, T1489
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 2, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Affected versions are unavailable in this record. Check the vendor advisory for version and patch details.
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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