Description
A race condition in the postgresql init script could be used by attackers able to access the postgresql account to escalate their privileges to root.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| suse | postgresql-init | unspecified – ≤ 9.4-0.5.3.1 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 11 SP4 | postgresql-init | 9.4-0.5.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:3107-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | postgresql-init | 9.4-0.5.3.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:3107-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 1
- PostgreSQL 9.4-0.5.3 - Privilege Escalation EDB-45184 · local · Aug 13, 2018
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 1
- SUSE-SU-2017:3107-1 Security update for postgresql-init SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026