Security Resilience

CVE-2023-5869

Memory Safety in Postgresql 11.0 – 11.22

Memory Safety
Published
10 December 2023
Modified
04 November 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.043 91th percentile
Risk Priority 70 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-5869 is a high-severity Integer Overflow or Wraparound (CWE-190) vulnerability in Postgresql Postgresql. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique LSA Secrets (T1003.004); ranked in the top 9% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A flaw was found in PostgreSQL that allows authenticated database users to execute arbitrary code through missing overflow checks during SQL array value modification. This issue exists due to an integer overflow during array modification where a remote user can…

more

trigger the overflow by providing specially crafted data. This enables the execution of arbitrary code on the target system, allowing users to write arbitrary bytes to memory and extensively read the server's memory.

CWE(s)
CWE-190

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.005 Cached Domain Credentials Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access cached domain credentials used to allow authentication to occur in the event a domain controller is unavailable.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.008 /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/shadow</code> to enable offline password cracking.
attack.mitre.org →
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
attack.mitre.org →
T1008 Fallback Channels Command And Control
Adversaries may use fallback or alternate communication channels if the primary channel is compromised or inaccessible in order to maintain reliable command and control and to avoid data transfer thresholds.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-5868Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2023-5870Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2025-13601Same product: Redhat Codeready Linux Builder For Arm64 Eus
CVE-2026-15742Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2026-6473Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2026-14677Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2026-14662Same product: Postgresql Postgresql
CVE-2023-0179Same product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
CVE-2013-2729Same product: Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop
CVE-2026-2272Same product: Redhat Enterprise Linux

Affected Assets

postgresql
postgresql
16.0 · 11.0 — 11.22 · 12.0 — 12.17 · 13.0 — 13.13
redhat
codeready linux builder eus
9.2
redhat
codeready linux builder eus for power little endian eus
9.0_ppc64le, 9.2_ppc64le
redhat
codeready linux builder for arm64 eus
8.6_aarch64, 9.0_aarch64, 9.2_aarch64
redhat
codeready linux builder for ibm z systems eus
9.0_s390x, 9.2_s390x
redhat
codeready linux builder for power little endian eus
9.0_ppc64le, 9.2_ppc64le
redhat
software collections
1.0
redhat
enterprise linux
8.0, 9.0
redhat
enterprise linux desktop
7.0
redhat
enterprise linux eus
8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 9.2
+11 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.2.6

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly require use of safe arithmetic, bounds checks, and testing that prevent integer overflows.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match
removes
A.5.15 Access control partial match
removes
A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
removes
A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

References