CVE-2026-16238

A flaw was found in PostgreSQL. An object creator can exploit a type confusion vulnerability in the pg_restore_attribute_stats() function. This flaw occurs due to the conflation of range and multirange values, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code as the operating system user running the database. This could lead to a complete compromise of the database system.

A type confusion flaw in PostgreSQL’s pg_restore_attribute_stats() function allows an authenticated user with object-creation privileges to achieve arbitrary code execution under the database server process (postgres) via crafted range and multirange values.

Note: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.6 and earlier releases do not ship the vulnerable PostgreSQL major version (18.x) and are therefore not affected.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

To mitigate this issue, restrict the ability to create database objects and perform database restorations to only highly trusted administrative users. This operational control limits the attack surface by ensuring that only authorized personnel can introduce potentially malicious objects into the database environment. Carefully manage user privileges to enforce this restriction.