CVE-2026-86861
MediumCVSS 5.9Summary
In pgAdmin 4, the File Manager save_file endpoint validated the requested path with Filemanager.check_access_permission() and then opened the file for writing with a plain open() call, without O_NOFOLLOW. As a result, if the final path component was replaced with a symbolic link in the interval between the check and the write, the write followed the link and could create or overwrite an arbitrary file as the operating-system account running pgAdmin. This affects pgAdmin 4 from the introduction of the containment check in the File Manager save path before 9.18.
Risk Assessment
Exploitation requires the ability to create or replace a symbolic link inside the requesting user's storage directory and to win the timing window between the check and the write, which typically means filesystem access to the pgAdmin host or to a shared or network-mounted storage backend. The impact can be creation or overwrite of an arbitrary file as the operating-system account running pgAdmin, potentially leading to privilege escalation or further compromise.
Recommendation
Update pgAdmin 4 to version 9.18 or later, which routes save_file's write through the same O_NOFOLLOW-protected helper used by the upload path and explicitly reports a symbolic-link refusal. Restrict filesystem access to the pgAdmin host and to any shared or network-mounted storage backend to trusted accounts only.
Other vulnerabilities in pgAdmin 4
See all- CVE-2026-86864High
In pgAdmin 4's Backup tool, the client-supplied database name was passed to pg_dump as a bare trailing positional argument without validation. Because pg_dump parses options with getopt_long, which permutes arguments, a value beginning with a dash (e.g. --file=/path) was treated as an option, overriding the previously set --file and allowing files to be written outside the File Manager storage directory. The same field also allowed connection-string injection, redirecting pg_dump to an attacker-controlled server along with the database password from the PGPASSWORD environment variable.
- CVE-2026-86862Medium
The vulnerability in pgAdmin 4 affects the Restore and Maintenance tools, which pass the 'database' field directly as the --dbname argument to pg_restore and psql. A value containing an equals sign is expanded by libpq into a full connection string, potentially redirecting the connection to an attacker-controlled server. This can lead to disclosure of the decrypted stored database password and enable outbound connections from the pgAdmin host to arbitrary network addresses.
- CVE-2026-7819High
There is a path traversal vulnerability using symbolic links in pgAdmin 4 File Manager. An authenticated user can create a symbolic link in their directory pointing outside of it, allowing data to be written to any path accessible by the pgAdmin process.
- CVE-2026-7818High
In pgAdmin 4 FileBackedSessionManager, there is a vulnerability to deserialization of untrusted data, which can lead to remote code execution at the operating system level. This issue arises from the lack of proper integrity checks before deserializing session file contents.
- CVE-2026-7816High
In pgAdmin 4 before version 9.15, there is an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) in the Import/Export query export feature. An authenticated user could inject malicious commands, leading to arbitrary command execution on the pgAdmin server or arbitrary file writes.
- CVE-2026-7815High
A SQL injection vulnerability in the pgAdmin 4 Maintenance Tool allows an authenticated user with tools_maintenance permissions to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the PostgreSQL server. Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to privilege escalation and execution of operating system commands on the database host.
- CVE-2026-86863Critical
In pgAdmin 4, the 'webserver' authentication source was vulnerable because WebserverAuthentication.get_user() fell back to reading the username directly from inbound HTTP request headers when the WSGI/CGI environment lookup returned nothing. As a result, any client able to reach pgAdmin could supply that header itself and authenticate as any username, including an existing Administrator, without a password. The issue affects versions from 6.2 before 9.18 and only applies when 'webserver' is enabled in AUTHENTICATION_SOURCES.
- CVE-2026-17566Critical
A vulnerability in pgAdmin 4 allows remote code execution (RCE) via injection into the Import/Export Data tool. The validation function incorrectly handles backslashes in SQL strings, enabling bypass of protections and addition of a TO PROGRAM clause to psql commands.
- CVE-2026-17351Critical
A vulnerability in pgAdmin 4 (versions 9.13 to 9.16) allows bypassing the CVE-2026-12045 fix by injecting SQL queries into the AI assistant. An attacker can plant a malicious payload in an object read by the assistant, leading to execution of multiple SQL statements, including write or remote code execution.
- CVE-2026-17349Critical
In the adhoc_connect_server function in pgAdmin 4 9.0-9.16, when a non-owner user clones a server, all columns including credentials (passwords) and ownership flags are copied. This allows an attacker to take over the cloned server and use database passwords belonging to another user (e.g., an administrator).
Original NVD description (English source)
pgAdmin 4's File Manager save_file endpoint, which backs saving from the Query Tool and ERD, validated the requested path with Filemanager.check_access_permission() and then opened the file for writing with a plain open() call. CVE-2026-7819 had previously hardened the separate file upload path by opening its target with O_NOFOLLOW, so that the kernel refuses to follow a symbolic link at the final path component, but save_file was left on an unprotected open(). A symbolic link already present when the check ran was rejected by the check itself; the remaining exposure was a link substituted at the final path component in the interval between the check and the write, at which point the write followed the link and landed outside the user's storage directory, creating or overwriting an arbitrary file as the operating-system account running pgAdmin. Exploitation requires the ability to create or replace a symbolic link inside the requesting user's storage directory. pgAdmin exposes no interface that creates symbolic links, so this requires filesystem access to the pgAdmin host or to a shared or network-mounted storage backend, together with winning the timing window. The reporter did not achieve a write against a released version, having attempted approximately 63,000 racing requests without success; the reported defect is the uncovered write path rather than a demonstrated sandbox escape. The fix routes save_file's write through the same O_NOFOLLOW-protected helper already used by the upload path, so both File Manager write sinks carry identical kernel-enforced protection, and reports a symbolic-link refusal explicitly instead of surfacing the underlying system error text. Note that files created by save_file are now given mode 0600, inheriting the behaviour introduced for uploads. The protection covers the final path component; substitution of an intermediate directory component is not addressed by this change. This issue affects pgAdmin 4: from the introduction of the containment check in the File Manager save path before 9.18.