CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2023-31043NVD status: Modified

Postgres Advanced Server: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2023-31043 is a high-severity cleartext storage of sensitive information vulnerability in Postgres Advanced Server from EnterpriseDB, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 10.23.33, 11.18.29, 12.13.17 as the first without the flaw, so updating Postgres Advanced Server to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.43% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Postgres Advanced Server to 10.23.33 or 11.18.29 or 12.13.17 or 13.9.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
EnterprisedbPostgres Advanced Serverbefore 10.23.33; 11.1.7 up to, but not including, 11.18.29; 12.1.2 up to, but not including, 12.13.17; 13.1.4 up to, but not including, 13.9.13; 14.1.0 up to, but not including, 14.6.010.23.33, 11.18.29, 12.13.17, 13.9.13, 14.6.0

Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.5HighNVD
CVSS 3.17.5HighCISA (ADP)

Official description

EnterpriseDB EDB Postgres Advanced Server (EPAS) before 14.6.0 logs unredacted passwords in situations where optional parameters are used with CREATE/ALTER USER/GROUP/ROLE, and redacting was configured with edb_filter_log.redact_password_commands. The fixed versions are 10.23.33, 11.18.29, 12.13.17, 13.9.13, and 14.6.0.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information

The product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to encrypt the data at rest.
  • In some systems/environments such as cloud, the use of double encryption (at both the software and hardware layer) might be required, and the developer might be solely responsible for both layers, instead of shared responsibility with the administrator of the broader system/environment.

More Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerabilities (CWE-312)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Postgres Advanced Server

All Postgres Advanced Server vulnerabilities

Recent Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerabilities

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