The Windows installer for PostgreSQL 9.5 - 12 invokes system-provided executables that do not have fully-qualified paths. Executables in the directory where the installer loads or the current working directory take precedence over the intended executables. An attacker having permission to add files into one of those directories can use this to execute arbitrary code with the installers administrative rights.
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product’s direct control.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgresql | Postgresql | 9.5 (including) | 9.5.22 (excluding) |
| Postgresql | Postgresql | 9.6 (including) | 9.6.18 (excluding) |
| Postgresql | Postgresql | 10.0 (including) | 10.13 (excluding) |
| Postgresql | Postgresql | 11.0 (including) | 11.8 (excluding) |
| Postgresql | Postgresql | 12.0 (including) | 12.3 (excluding) |
This might allow attackers to execute their own programs, access unauthorized data files, or modify configuration in unexpected ways. If the product uses a search path to locate critical resources such as programs, then an attacker could modify that search path to point to a malicious program, which the targeted product would then execute. The problem extends to any type of critical resource that the product trusts. Some of the most common variants of untrusted search path are: