# CVE-2017-12172: Privilege escalation in postgresql

> Database superusers can escalate to root privileges by exploiting symbolic link vulnerabilities in packager-authored startup scripts that run as root.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Nov 2017
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r936-w9vp-c53q

## What is CVE-2017-12172?

CVE-2017-12172 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Postgresql Postgresql, published on 22 Nov 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

PostgreSQL 10.x before 10.1, 9.6.x before 9.6.6, 9.5.x before 9.5.10, 9.4.x before 9.4.15, 9.3.x before 9.3.20, and 9.2.x before 9.2.24 runs under a non-root operating system account, and database superusers have effective ability to run arbitrary code under that system account. PostgreSQL provides a script for starting the database server during system boot. Packages of PostgreSQL for many operating systems provide their own, packager-authored startup implementations. Several implementations use a log file name that the database superuser can replace with a symbolic link. As root, they open(), chmod() and/or chown() this log file name. This often suffices for the database superuser to escalate to root privileges when root starts the server.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-12172?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Postgresql Postgresql.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-12172?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2017-12172 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Postgresql Postgresql

- [CVE-2013-1902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1902/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-1903](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1903/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-3279](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-3279/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2002-1399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1399/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2016-3065](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3065/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-12172 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-12172 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Postgresql Postgresql, published on 22 Nov 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-12172 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Postgresql Postgresql. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12172/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12172/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-12172
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-12172
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-12172

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12172/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.