PgBouncer: Integer Overflow or Wraparound
CVE-2026-6668 is a high-severity integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability in PgBouncer, 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. Affected PgBouncer versions: 1.25.2 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.57% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of PgBouncer you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. 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
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
Integer overflow in the packet buffer growth logic in PgBouncer through 1.25.2 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a denial of service. Sufficiently large input makes the buffer size computation overflow, leaving the growth loop unable to terminate. Because PgBouncer serves all clients from a single process, this saturates a CPU core and stalls every pooled connection until the process is killed. Both unauthenticated and authenticated code paths can reach the overflow.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Integer Overflow or Wraparound
The product performs a calculation that can produce an integer overflow or wraparound when the logic assumes that the resulting value will always be larger than the original value. This occurs when an integer value is incremented to a value that is too large to store in the associated representation. When this occurs, the value may become a very small or negative number.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Ensure that all protocols are strictly defined, such that all out-of-bounds behavior can be identified simply, and require strict conformance to the protocol.
- Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. If possible, choose a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Use libraries or frameworks that make it easier to handle numbers without unexpected consequences. Examples include safe integer handling packages such as SafeInt (C++) or IntegerLib (C or C++).
More Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerabilities (CWE-190)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in PgBouncer
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
Recent Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
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