Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CVE-2023-5870)
Published Sources: Debian, BSI, CVE.org, Msrc Update Guide, OSV
What is affected, what to do
A flaw was found in PostgreSQL involving the pg_cancel_backend role that signals background workers, including the logical replication launcher, autovacuum workers, and the autovacuum launcher. Successful exploitation requires a non-core extension with a less-resilient background worker and would affect that specific background worker only.
Update Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2 to version 4.2.4-6, Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2 to version 4.2.4-7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 to version 8090020231114113712.a75119d5.
- Affected
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
lt *..4.2.4-6 - Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
lt *..4.2.4-7 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
lt *..8090020231114113712.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
lt *..8090020231128173330.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
lt *..8090020231114113548.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support
lt *..8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service
lt *..8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions
lt *..8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support
lt *..8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support
lt *..8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service
lt *..8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service
lt *..8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions
lt *..8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions
lt *..8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support
lt *..8060020231114115246.ad008a3a - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support
lt *..8060020231128165328.ad008a3a - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
lt *..8080020231114105206.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
lt *..8080020231128165335.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
lt *..8080020231113134015.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
lt *..0:13.13-1.el9_3 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
lt *..9030020231120082734.rhel9 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support
lt *..0:13.13-1.el9_0 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support
lt *..0:13.13-1.el9_2 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support
lt *..9020020231115020618.rhel9 - Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
lt *..0:12.17-1.el7 - Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
lt *..0:13.13-1.el7 - Red Hat RHACS-3.74-RHEL-8
lt *..3.74.8-9 - Red Hat RHACS-3.74-RHEL-8
lt *..3.74.8-7 - Red Hat RHACS-4.1-RHEL-8
lt *..4.1.6-6
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
- Fixed in
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
4.2.4-6 - Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
4.2.4-7 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
8090020231114113712.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
8090020231128173330.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
8090020231114113548.a75119d5 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support
8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service
8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions
8020020231128165246.4cda2c84 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support
8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support
8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service
8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service
8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions
8040020231127153301.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions
8040020231127154806.522a0ee4 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support
8060020231114115246.ad008a3a - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support
8060020231128165328.ad008a3a - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
8080020231114105206.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
8080020231128165335.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support
8080020231113134015.63b34585 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
0:13.13-1.el9_3 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
9030020231120082734.rhel9 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support
0:13.13-1.el9_0 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support
0:13.13-1.el9_2 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support
9020020231115020618.rhel9 - Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
0:12.17-1.el7 - Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
0:13.13-1.el7 - Red Hat RHACS-3.74-RHEL-8
3.74.8-9 - Red Hat RHACS-3.74-RHEL-8
3.74.8-7 - Red Hat RHACS-4.1-RHEL-8
4.1.6-6
- Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability
Metrics
4.4
Priority
XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.
Source: NVD, CVSS v3
2.2
CVSS v3
Severity Low on the scale from 0 to 10.
Source: Debian, BSI, CVE.org, Msrc Update Guide, OSV
2.6 %
EPSS score
Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.
Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 85.0
Show all metrics
- Severity
- Medium
Priority (0–325)
The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?
Read in glossary- 72.78 Methodology
Exploit maturity
An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.
Read in glossary- no public PoC known
XIEM Effective CVSS
XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.
Read in glossary- 4.4 Methodology
CVSS v3
CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.
Read in glossary- 2.2
EPSS score
The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.
Read in glossary- 2.6 %
- Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.
EPSS percentile
The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.
Read in glossary- 85.0
- Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
KEV status
The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.
Read in glossary- —
- Published
CWE
CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.
Read in glossary- CWE-400
Detection rules
No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.
Classification under NIS2 and CRA
Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.
NIS2
NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.
Read in glossary- Handle the vulnerability in regular vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2.
CRA
The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.
Read in glossary- From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
ISO/IEC 27001
ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.
Read in glossary- Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.
Description
A flaw was found in PostgreSQL involving the pg_cancel_backend role that signals background workers, including the logical replication launcher, autovacuum workers, and the autovacuum launcher. Successful exploitation requires a non-core extension with a less-resilient background worker and would affect that specific background worker only. This issue may allow a remote high privileged user to launch a denial of service (DoS) attack.
Source: Debian Security Advisories, BSI CSAF, BSI WID Portal, NVD (NIST), Microsoft Security Update Guide, OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities), cvelistv5
Affected products
The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.
| Affected versions | Fixed in | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2 |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Update Services for SAP Solutions |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Extended Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Software Collections |
|
|
| Red Hat | Red Hat Software Collections for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 |
|
|
| Red Hat | RHACS-3.74-RHEL-8 |
|
|
| Red Hat | RHACS-4.1-RHEL-8 |
|
|
| postgresql | postgresql |
|
|
| redhat | codeready_linux_builder_eus |
|
|
| redhat | codeready_linux_builder_eus_for_power_little_endian_eus |
|
|
| redhat | codeready_linux_builder_for_arm64_eus |
|
|
| redhat | codeready_linux_builder_for_ibm_z_systems_eus |
|
|
| redhat | codeready_linux_builder_for_power_little_endian_eus |
|
|
Distribution and container packages (6)
Downstream packages (e.g. Bitnami, Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat). Versions refer to the distribution, not the vendor.
| Affected versions | Fixed in | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| bitnami | postgresql |
|
|
Vendors and products
- Debian Postgresql-13
- Debian Postgresql-15
- PostgreSQL Global Development Group PostgreSQL
- Red Hat Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security 4.2
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Telecommunications Update Service
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Update Services For Sap Solutions
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support
- Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service
Affected operating systems
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux | 8.0 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux | 9.0 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_eus | 8.6 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_eus | 8.8 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_eus | 9.0 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_eus | 9.2 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_arm_64 | 8.0 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_arm_64 | 8.8_aarch64 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems | 8.0_s390x |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus | 8.6_s390x |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus | 8.8_s390x |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus | 9.0_s390x |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus | 9.2_s390x |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian | 8.0_ppc64le |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus | 8.6_ppc64le |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus | 8.8_ppc64le |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus | 9.0_ppc64le |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus | 9.2_ppc64le |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_aus | 8.2 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_aus | 8.4 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_aus | 8.6 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_aus | 9.2 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_tus | 8.2 |
| Linux | redhat | enterprise_linux_server_tus | 8.4 |
Weakness classes (CWE)
CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Class
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Entry at MITRE CWE-400
References & sources
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7545web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7579web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7580web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7581web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7616web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7656web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7666web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7667web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7694web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7695web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7714web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7770web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7772web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, Third-party advisory
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7784web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7785web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7883web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7884web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2023:7885web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2024:0304web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- access.redhat.comRHSA-2024:0332web, Vendor advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
Embed badge
Show the severity and KEV status of this vulnerability on your site – with a link back here. The image is updated hourly.
<a href="https://intel.neosec.eu/en/cve/CVE-2023-5870"><img src="https://intel.neosec.eu/badge/cve/CVE-2023-5870.svg?lang=en" alt="CVE-2023-5870 – NEOSEC Intel" height="20"></a>