CPU exhaustion via unbounded SCRAM iterations
Published Apr 29, 2026 · Updated Apr 29, 2026
Denial of service in PostgreSQL JDBC Driver 42.2.0 through 42.7.10 allows remote attackers to exhaust CPU via SCRAM authentication. The SCRAM server-first-message path accepts an attacker-selected iteration count and starts PBKDF2 without an upper bound. Exploitation requires SCRAM-SHA-256 and a malicious, compromised, redirected, or impersonated PostgreSQL endpoint; one attempt occupies a core, while retries can wedge pools.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in PostgreSQL JDBC Driver 42.2.0 through 42.7.10 allows remote attackers to exhaust CPU via SCRAM authentication. The SCRAM server-first-message path accepts an attacker-selected iteration count and starts PBKDF2 without an upper bound. Exploitation requires SCRAM-SHA-256 and a malicious, compromised, redirected, or impersonated PostgreSQL endpoint; one attempt occupies a core, while retries can wedge pools.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-42198
- Published
- Apr 29, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 29, 2026
- Vendor
- PostgreSQL Global Development Group
- Product
- PostgreSQL JDBC Driver
- Classifications
- CWE-770, T1499.003
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 29, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 29, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=>= 42.2.0, < 42.7.11
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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