Description

Cleartext storage in PostgreSQL pgcrypto disabled ciphers allows a user to recover cleartext, via direct observation of the faulty ciphertext. The OpenSSL version and OpenSSL configuration determine the disabled ciphers. If the application accepts encrypted data as input, decryption will succeed even with the wrong key. This in turn loses the modest protection from the Modification Detection Code (MDC). Affected functions are pgp_sym_encrypt, pgp_sym_decrypt, pgp_pub_encrypt, pgp_pub_decrypt, pgp_sym_encrypt_bytea, pgp_sym_decrypt_bytea, pgp_pub_encrypt_bytea, and pgp_pub_decrypt_bytea. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24 are affected.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "6.5",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-13T13:17:43.700Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-13T13:17:43.700Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A cleartext storage and improper cryptographic verification vulnerability exists in the pgcrypto extension of PostgreSQL. The vulnerability arises when handling disabled ciphers, which are determined by the underlying OpenSSL version and configuration. If an application accepts untrusted encrypted data as input, the decryption routine succeeds even when an incorrect cryptographic key is supplied, bypassing integrity protections and leading to the loss of Modification Detection Code (MDC) guarantees. Attackers with the ability to supply or observe faulty ciphertexts can leverage this behavior to recover cleartext data or manipulate encrypted payloads. The affected products include PostgreSQL versions prior to 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24. The primary risk involves compromise of data confidentiality and integrity within database systems utilizing vulnerable cryptographic functions. Exploitation requires the capability to observe resulting ciphertexts or interact with applications processing user-supplied encrypted inputs against the database.",
  "technicalDetails": "The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the cryptographic handling of disabled ciphers within the PostgreSQL pgcrypto module. Specifically, functions such as pgp_sym_encrypt, pgp_sym_decrypt, pgp_pub_encrypt, pgp_pub_decrypt, pgp_sym_encrypt_bytea, pgp_sym_decrypt_bytea, pgp_pub_encrypt_bytea, and pgp_pub_decrypt_bytea fail to properly enforce key validation and cipher restrictions under certain OpenSSL configurations. When these functions process data, the OpenSSL version and system configuration dictate how disabled ciphers are treated. If an application directly processes attacker-controlled encrypted data as input, the decryption mechanism fails to validate the decryption key properly, allowing decryption operations to succeed even when executed with the wrong key.\nThis improper validation directly compromises the modest protection provided by the Modification Detection Code (MDC), as integrity checks can be bypassed or rendered ineffective. The attack flow typically proceeds with an adversary submitting maliciously crafted or faulty ciphertexts directly to the application layer, which subsequently passes the data to the vulnerable database functions. Through direct observation of the resulting faulty ciphertext or the anomalous processing behavior, an attacker can recover cleartext data or deduce sensitive cryptographic properties. The vulnerability affects database instances running PostgreSQL versions before 18.5, 17.11, 16.15, 15.19, and 14.24. Exploitation does not inherently require high-level database privileges or complex authentication if the database interface or application logic accepts unvalidated external encrypted payloads. The post-exploitation impact includes the potential exposure of sensitive cleartext information stored or processed via the pgcrypto extension and the circumvention of cryptographic integrity controls."
}