Analyst readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a legacy PostgreSQL flaw where an authenticated database user could crash the database daemon by triggering an overflow in bit-string substring handling. The sources describe denial of service and only unspecified other impact. There is no KEV listing in the provided bundle, so active exploitation is not established here.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate legacy risk. It is mainly a service availability issue requiring database credentials, but old PostgreSQL 8.x systems should not remain exposed in production without vendor-supported fixes.
Technical view
CVE-2010-0442 affects PostgreSQL bitsubstr in backend/utils/adt/varbit.c for listed 8.x versions. A negative integer in the third substring argument for a bit string can cause an overflow, allowing a remote authenticated user to crash the daemon or potentially cause unspecified impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely limited to legacy PostgreSQL deployments matching the listed affected 8.x versions or distribution packages covered by the 2010 Red Hat, Debian, and Ubuntu advisories. Systems with only untrusted public access to PostgreSQL are at higher operational risk if authenticated access exists.
Exploitation context
The provided description says exploitation requires remote authenticated database access and a crafted SELECT using substring on a bit string. Public references include advisory and discussion links, but the supplied bundle does not prove active exploitation or KEV inclusion.
Researcher notes
The source bundle lacks CVSS, CWE, and detailed affected CPEs. Analysis should stay anchored to the CVE description and vendor advisories. Do not assume unauthenticated access, code execution, or active exploitation from the provided evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Apply PostgreSQL or distribution security updates referenced by vendor advisories.
- Retire or upgrade any listed PostgreSQL 8.x versions still in service.
- Restrict database accounts to trusted users with least privilege.
- Review vendor guidance before applying distribution-specific package changes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory PostgreSQL versions and distribution package revisions.
- Map installed packages against Red Hat, Debian, or Ubuntu advisories as applicable.
- Confirm no listed affected PostgreSQL versions remain deployed.
- Review database logs for unexplained backend crashes involving bit-string substring operations.
Public sources used
Based on public source material and reviewed before publication.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2010-0442 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- RHSA-2010:0427CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- 1023510CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_SECTRACK
- RHSA-2010:0428CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- DSA-2051CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_DEBIAN
- USN-933-1CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- 39820CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- [oss-security] 20100127 Re: CVE id request: postgresql bitsubstr overflowCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
- ADV-2010-1221CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_VUPEN
- 37973CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_BID
- http://git.postgresql.org/gitweb?p=postgresql.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=75dea10196c31d98d98c0bafeeb576ae99c09b12CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://intevydis.blogspot.com/2010/01/postgresql-8023-bitsubstr-overflow.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- http://git.postgresql.org/gitweb?p=postgresql.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b15087cb39ca9e4bde3c8920fcee3741045d2b83CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- ADV-2010-1207CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_VUPEN
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=567058CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- ADV-2010-1022CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_VUPEN
- [pgsql-hackers] 20100107 Re: Patch: Allow substring/replace() to get/set bit valuesCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
- 39566CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=559259CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- postgresql-substring-bo(55902)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF
- [pgsql-committers] 20100107 pgsql: Make bit/varbit substring() treat any negative length as meaningCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
- RHSA-2010:0429CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:9720CVE reference · vdb-entry, signature
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=559194CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.