CVE-2025-12819
Pgbouncer ≤ 1.25.1
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-12819 is a high-severity Untrusted Search Path (CWE-426) vulnerability in Pgbouncer Pgbouncer. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Path Interception (T1034); ranked at the 30th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and CM-7 (Least Functionality) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-12819 is an untrusted search path vulnerability (CWE-426) in the auth_query connection handler of PgBouncer versions before 1.25.1. This flaw enables an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary SQL during the authentication process by supplying a malicious search_path parameter within the StartupMessage. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability despite requiring high attack complexity and low privileges.
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network during connection authentication to PgBouncer. By crafting a StartupMessage with a manipulated search_path, the attacker tricks the handler into executing arbitrary SQL commands, potentially compromising the underlying PostgreSQL database connections pooled by PgBouncer.
Mitigation is addressed in PgBouncer 1.25.1, as detailed in the project's changelog at https://www.pgbouncer.org/changelog.html#pgbouncer-125x. Debian LTS users should refer to the announcement at https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/12/msg00033.html for patched packages and additional guidance.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-201089
Vulnerability Data
Untrusted search path in auth_query connection handler in PgBouncer before 1.25.1 allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary SQL during authentication via a malicious search_path parameter in the StartupMessage.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Secure baseline settings can enforce absolute, organization-controlled paths for critical resources.
Least-functionality configuration can prohibit unapproved directories or executables from being reachable via search paths.
Engineering principles such as trusted paths, complete mediation, and least privilege directly require hard-coded or validated search paths instead of external ones.
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.
Preventing execution of unauthorized code directly blocks the malicious binaries that an untrusted search path would load.
Secure development practices include avoiding or sanitizing externally influenced search paths in application code.
Hardened configuration baselines can enforce safe search paths and restrict environment variables that enable the weakness.
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.
Security testing can discover search-path issues but does not itself prevent them in production code.
Restricting software installation reduces the chance that untrusted binaries or libraries are placed in search paths.
Secure architecture principles include hard-coded or validated search paths and avoiding reliance on untrusted directories.
Secure coding standards require absolute paths or integrity-checked search paths, directly mitigating CWE-426.
Change-management processes can enforce review of path-handling changes, indirectly lowering risk.