CVE-2026-16238·PostgreSQL vulnerability

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.41% — higher than 34% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2026-16238 scores 8.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at 0.41%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

How to fix this CVE

PostgreSQL versions 18.0 through 18.5 contain a type confusion vulnerability in the pg_restore_attribute_stats() function that can allow object creators to execute arbitrary code with database process privileges. Immediately upgrade to PostgreSQL 18.6 or later to patch this high-severity vulnerability. Verify the upgrade by checking the version output after applying patches.

sudo dnf update postgresql postgresql-contrib

How to check if you are affected

1. Step 1: Check your PostgreSQL version with: psql --version or SELECT version();
2. Step 2: Connect to PostgreSQL as a superuser and query: SELECT current_setting('server_version_num'); (values 180000-180005 indicate vulnerable versions)
3. Step 3: Search PostgreSQL logs for pg_restore activity: grep -i 'pg_restore\|attribute_stats' /var/log/postgresql/*.log
4. Step 4: After upgrading, verify the fix with: psql --version and confirm output shows 18.6 or later

FAQ

Related PostgreSQL CVEs

References

• https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-16238/