Description
Timescale TimescaleDB 1.x and 2.x before 2.5.2 may allow privilege escalation during extension installation. The installation process uses commands such as CREATE x IF NOT EXIST that allow an unprivileged user to precreate objects. These objects will be used by the installer (which executes as Superuser), leading to privilege escalation. In order to be able to take advantage of this, an unprivileged user would need to be able to create objects in a database and then get a Superuser to install TimescaleDB into their database. (In the fixed versions, the installation aborts when it finds that an object already exists.)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP4 | postgresql12-timescaledb +3 | 2.9.3-bp154.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2023:0046-1 |
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP3 | postgresql12-timescaledb +3 | 2.9.3-bp153.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2023:0053-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.4 | postgresql12-timescaledb +3 | 2.9.3-bp154.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2023:0046-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | postgresql12-timescaledb +3 | 2.9.3-bp153.2.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2023:0053-1 |
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2023:0053-1 Security update for timescaledb SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2023:0046-1 Security update for timescaledb SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- https://docs.timescale.com/timescaledb/latest/overview/release-notes/
- https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/security/advisories/GHSA-fh8v-663w-79w9
- https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/commit/6275c2985927cfd4900b85cac5120227c8cb1f0c
- https://github.com/timescale/timescaledb/commit/c8b8516e466c2bb7d2ae6a4b0b2e8e60b24b24a2