pgAdmin up to 9.18 File Path Resolution/Connection Parameter servers.json get_complete_file_path/make_conninfo sslkeylogfile path traversal

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in pgAdmin up to 9.18. It has been rated as critical. This affects the function get_complete_file_path/make_conninfo of the file servers.json of the component File Path Resolution/Connection Parameter Handler. Performing a manipulation of the argument sslkeylogfile results in path traversal. This vulnerability is reported as CVE-2026-116249. The attack is possible to be carried out remotely. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in pgAdmin up to 9.18. It has been classified as critical. This affects the function get_complete_file_path/make_conninfo of the file servers.json of the component File Path Resolution/Connection Parameter Handler. The manipulation of the argument sslkeylogfile with an unknown input leads to a path traversal vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-22. The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In server mode pgAdmin 4 resolves a server's password file, SSL certificate, key, CRL and SSH tunnel identity file relative to the user's storage directory, but get_complete_file_path() only stripped leading slashes before joining the two. A path such as "../<another user>/.pgpass", set through the server dialog, the REST API or a servers.json import, therefore named another user's file, and connecting used that user's saved passwords, client certificate or SSH key. The sslkeylogfile connection parameter was passed to libpq unchanged, so a path outside storage let libpq create or append a file as the account running pgAdmin. make_conninfo() also quoted connection parameter values but not their names, so a crafted parameter name could smuggle additional keyword=value pairs past these checks. The fix requires the resolved path, with symbolic links followed, to stay inside the user's storage directory or the named shared storage directory, confines sslkeylogfile the same way, and accepts only exact libpq keywords as connection parameter names. A refused path or keyword is reported instead of letting libpq fall back to a default. This issue affects pgAdmin 4: before 9.19.

It is possible to read the advisory at github.com. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2026-116249 since 10/25/2026. The exploitability is told to be easy. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The attack technique deployed by this issue is T1006 according to MITRE ATT&CK.

By approaching the search of inurl:servers.json it is possible to find vulnerable targets with Google Hacking.

Upgrading to version 9.19 eliminates this vulnerability.

Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Name

• pgAdmin

Version

• 9.0
• 9.1
• 9.2
• 9.3
• 9.4
• 9.5
• 9.6
• 9.7
• 9.8
• 9.9
• 9.10
• 9.11
• 9.12
• 9.13
• 9.14
• 9.15
• 9.16
• 9.17
• 9.18

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

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