Input validation error in PostgreSQL - CVE-2010-0442
Published: February 24, 2023 / Updated: June 23, 2025
Vulnerability identifier: #VU111772
CSH Severity: Medium
CVSS v4: 5.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2010-0442
CWE-ID: CWE-20
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
Public exploit is available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote user to read and manipulate data.
The bitsubstr function in backend/utils/adt/varbit.c in PostgreSQL 8.0.23, 8.1.11, and 8.3.8 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or have unspecified other impact via vectors involving a negative integer in the third argument, as demonstrated by a SELECT statement that contains a call to the substring function for a bit string, related to an "overflow."
Affected software
PostgreSQL
Gentoo Linux
dev-db/postgresql
dev-db/postgresql-server
Gentoo Linux
dev-db/postgresql
dev-db/postgresql-server
How to mitigate CVE-2010-0442
Install update from vendor's website.
PostgreSQL - update to 8.0.24
dev-db/postgresql - update to 9.0.5
dev-db/postgresql-server - update to 9.0.5
dev-db/postgresql - update to 9.0.5
dev-db/postgresql-server - update to 9.0.5
Links to Public Exploits and PoC-codes
External References
- http://intevydis.blogspot.com/2010/01/postgresql-8023-bitsubstr-overflow.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37973
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=559194
- http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2010-01/msg00634.php
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=559259
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1023510
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=567058
- http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-committers/2010-01/msg00125.php
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/01/27/5
- http://secunia.com/advisories/39566
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/1022
- http://ubuntu.com/usn/usn-933-1
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0429.html
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0427.html
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2010-0428.html
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/1207
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2010:103
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/1197
- http://secunia.com/advisories/39820
- http://secunia.com/advisories/39939
- http://www.debian.org/security/2010/dsa-2051
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/1221
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/55902
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A9720
- http://git.postgresql.org/gitweb?p=postgresql.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=75dea10196c31d98d98c0bafeeb576ae99c09b12
- http://git.postgresql.org/gitweb?p=postgresql.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b15087cb39ca9e4bde3c8920fcee3741045d2b83