CVE-2016-1255: n/a vulnerability

CVE-2016-1255: The pg_ctlcluster script in postgresql-common package in Debian wheezy before 134wheezy5, in Debian jessie...

The pg_ctlcluster script in postgresql-common package in Debian wheezy before 134wheezy5, in Debian jessie before 165+deb8u2, in Debian unstable before 178, in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS before 129ubuntu1.2, in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS before 154ubuntu1.1, in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS before 173ubuntu0.1, in Ubuntu 17.04 before 179ubuntu0.1, and in Ubuntu 17.10 before 184ubuntu1.1 allows local users to gain root privileges via a symlink attack on a logfile in /var/log/postgresql.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdatedAug 5, 2024, 22:48 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is a local privilege escalation in Debian and Ubuntu PostgreSQL management tooling. A user who already has local access could abuse pg_ctlcluster logfile handling to become root. It is not described as a remote database exploit, but it can turn limited server access into full host compromise. Exposure is mainly older Debian wheezy/jessie/unstable and Ubuntu 12.04, 14.04, 16.04, 17.04, and 17.10 systems with vulnerable postgresql-common packages installed. Treat this as a host privilege-escalation issue on legacy Linux database systems. It is not shown as actively exploited here, but affected systems should be patched promptly because compromise can reach root. Mitigation focus: Upgrade postgresql-common to the fixed Debian or Ubuntu package for the installed release.; For Debian wheezy, use 134wheezy5 or later; for jessie, use 165+deb8u2 or later.; For affected Ubuntu releases, apply the relevant USN-3476 package updates..

Prepared: Jun 7, 2026, 21:41 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record

Severity: Unknown
CVSS: Not scored
Known Exploited: No
Published: Dec 5, 2017, 16:00 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors

0Timeline events

0ADP providers

3Source links

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
[debian-lts-announce] 20170101 [SECURITY] [DLA-774-1] postgresql-common security updateCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
https://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-postgresql/postgresql-common.git/commit/?id=c8989206ec360f199400c74f129f7b4cb878c1eeCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus

n/an/an/aListed

Weakness

CWE details

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