LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2026-44477: CloudNativePG: Metrics exporter allows privilege escalation to PostgreSQL superuser and OS RCE

CloudNativePG is a platform designed to manage PostgreSQL databases within Kubernetes environments. Prior to 1.29.1 and 1.28.3, the CloudNativePG metrics exporter opens its PostgreSQL connection as the postgres superuser via the pod-local Unix socket, then demotes the session with SET ROLE pg_monitor. SET ROLE changes only current_user; session_user remains postgres. Any SQL expression evaluated inside the scrape session can invoke RESET ROLE to recover real superuser privileges, then use COPY ... TO PROGRAM to spawn an OS-level subprocess as the postgres user inside the primary pod. The READ ONLY transaction flag does not block this; it gates writes to database state, not external processes. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.29.1 and 1.28.3.

CriticalCVSS 9.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysiscritical

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CloudNativePG’s metrics exporter can accidentally preserve PostgreSQL superuser authority while appearing to run with reduced monitoring privileges. A low-privileged actor able to influence evaluated SQL in the scrape session may escalate inside the database and trigger OS-level execution in the primary pod.

Executive priority

Treat this as urgent for any Kubernetes PostgreSQL environment using CloudNativePG. The business risk is loss of database control and possible code execution inside database pods, with critical severity and fixed versions available.

Technical view

Before CloudNativePG 1.29.1 and 1.28.3, the exporter connects as postgres over a pod-local socket, then uses role demotion that leaves the original session identity privileged. SQL evaluated during metrics scraping can regain that authority. The reported impact includes PostgreSQL superuser escalation and OS subprocess execution as the postgres user inside the primary pod.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to CloudNativePG deployments running versions before 1.28.3, or 1.29.0 before 1.29.1. Risk depends on whether an actor can affect SQL expressions evaluated by the metrics exporter.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not cite active exploitation, and KEV is false. The issue is still high urgency because the attack requires low privileges, no user interaction, and can cross from database privilege escalation to pod-level command execution.

Researcher notes

Focus validation on the exporter’s privilege boundary: connection identity, role demotion behavior, and SQL evaluated during scrape sessions. The supplied sources state read-only transactions do not prevent the external-process impact. Do not assume broader product exposure beyond listed CloudNativePG versions.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade CloudNativePG to 1.29.1, 1.28.3, or later supported fixed versions.
  • Inventory Kubernetes clusters for CloudNativePG operator and cluster versions.
  • Review CloudNativePG and Red Hat advisories for environment-specific guidance.
  • Restrict who can configure metrics queries or exporter-related database objects.
  • Prioritize primary database pods where exporter scraping is enabled.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm no CloudNativePG deployment is below 1.28.3 or on vulnerable 1.29.0.
  • Check operator images and manifests against approved fixed versions.
  • Review metrics exporter configuration for user-controlled SQL expressions.
  • Audit recent database role changes and exporter-related configuration changes.
  • Check pod logs for unusual exporter-session errors or unexpected subprocess activity.
Prepared
Confidence
high
Sources
7

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-250: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-271: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-426: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
description · low confidence lookup

Execution behavior lookup

The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
description · low confidence lookup

Privilege behavior lookup

The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
description · low confidence lookup

Database behavior lookup

The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Critical
CVSS
9.4 (4.0)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

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.

2CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
2ADP providers
6Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

2 official scores

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
9.4CVSS 4.0CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H——GitHub_M
8.8CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9redhat-SADP

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 4.0 score

9.4Critical
CVSS 4.0 vector shape for CVE-2026-44477Attack VectorAttack ComplexityAttack RequirementsPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionVS ConfidentialityVS IntegrityVS AvailabilitySS ConfidentialitySS IntegritySS Availability

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Attack Requirements
NonePresent
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NonePassiveActive
VS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
VS Integrity
HighLowNone
VS Availability
HighLowNone
SS Confidentiality
HighLowNone
SS Integrity
HighLowNone
SS Availability
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Made public.

  3. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  4. ADP timelineredhat-SADP

    Reported to Red Hat.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
redhat-SADPgithub.com/cloudnative-pg/cloudnative-pg: CloudNativePG: Metrics exporter allows privilege escalation to PostgreSQL superuser and OS RCE
other:Red Hat severity ratingcvssV3_1
  • 2026-05-28T17:01:09.448Z: Reported to Red Hat.
  • 2026-05-28T15:46:12.241Z: Made public.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
cloudnative-pgcloudnative-pg< 1.28.3, >= 1.29.0, < 1.29.1Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-250CWE-271CWE-426

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.