CVE-2012-4575 in PostgreSQL
Summary
by MITRE
The add_database function in objects.c in the pgbouncer pooler 1.5.2 for PostgreSQL allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a long database name in a request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4575 affects pgbouncer version 1.5.2, a popular connection pooler for PostgreSQL databases that manages and multiplexes client connections to database servers. This issue resides within the add_database function in the objects.c source file, which handles database name processing during connection requests. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs when the daemon processes database names exceeding predetermined length limits, creating a potential denial of service scenario that can bring the entire pgbouncer service offline.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the insufficient input validation mechanisms within pgbouncer's database name handling code. When a remote attacker submits a connection request containing an excessively long database name, the add_database function fails to properly validate or truncate the input before processing it. This condition creates a buffer overflow that can corrupt memory structures and cause the daemon to crash or become unresponsive, effectively rendering the database connection pooling service unavailable to legitimate users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where pgbouncer is exposed to untrusted networks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can result in significant service disruption for organizations relying on pgbouncer for database connection management. The denial of service condition affects not just individual database connections but the entire pgbouncer daemon, potentially impacting thousands of concurrent database users depending on the pooler configuration. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability repeatedly to maintain persistent service disruption, making it a serious concern for database administrators managing high-availability systems. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potential data access delays and business continuity concerns for applications dependent on PostgreSQL connection pooling.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to pgbouncer versions that contain the patched add_database function and implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the pgbouncer service. Input validation should be enforced at the application level to prevent excessively long database names from reaching the vulnerable code path, and monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual connection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a potential entry point for attackers seeking to establish persistent access or cause operational disruption under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics. Regular security audits should verify that all connection poolers are running patched versions and that proper input sanitization mechanisms are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the database infrastructure.