CVE-2025-0218 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting the pgadmin pgagent component. This vulnerability allows a local attacker to disrupt scheduled batch job executions by exploiting a predictable temporary directory naming process. The issue arises from an insufficiently seeded random number generator used in versions prior to 4.2.3, which can lead to denial of service for scheduled tasks.
The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.5, indicating a medium severity level. This is significant for organizations relying on pgagent for job scheduling, as it can lead to high availability impact.
Organizations using affected versions of pgagent should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate this risk. The public disclosure date was January 7, 2025, which underscores the importance of rapid remediation.
Given the nature of the vulnerability, local exploitation is possible, and it is crucial for security teams to monitor their environments closely for any signs of abuse. The risk to organizations includes potential disruption of automated processes and services relying on pgagent.
Vulnerability Details
The official description states: 'When batch jobs are executed by pgAgent, a script is created in a temporary directory and then executed. In versions of pgAgent prior to 4.2.3, an insufficiently seeded random number generator is used when generating the directory name, leading to the possibility for a local attacker to pre-create the directory and thus prevent pgAgent from executing jobs, disrupting scheduled tasks.'
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-340 and CWE-330, which relate to insufficient randomness and predictable paths respectively.
The CVSS score of 5.5 indicates a medium severity classification, highlighting the necessity for timely action from affected organizations.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2025-0218 lies in the implementation of the random number generator used to create temporary directory names. The attack vector for this vulnerability is classified as local, meaning that an attacker needs access to the system where pgagent is running. With low attack complexity and low privileges required, the risk of exploitation increases significantly.
No user interaction is needed for an attack to succeed, which further complicates defense measures. The integrity and confidentiality impacts are non-existent; however, the availability impact is rated as high, as it can prevent scheduled jobs from executing.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The deployment risk of this vulnerability is significant, especially for organizations using pgagent for critical task scheduling. The possible disruption from a successful exploit can lead to operational inefficiencies, affecting overall business processes.
Organizations should be particularly cautious, as the blast radius could encompass all services reliant on scheduled tasks executed by pgagent. Given the CVSS score, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected version of pgagent is any version prior to 4.2.3. Organizations should ensure they are running the latest version to mitigate this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations are advised to apply the latest patches available for pgagent. The patch can be found in the official GitHub repository. Additionally, organizations should review their configurations and ensure that the temporary directories are appropriately secured.
For a comprehensive review of security practices, organizations may consider application security assessments to identify further vulnerabilities in their systems.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor their systems for unusual behavior related to the execution of scheduled tasks. Logging should be enabled to capture any discrepancies in job executions.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2025-0218 highlights the importance of secure coding practices, particularly in the generation of temporary files and directories. Organizations should learn from this vulnerability to adopt more robust randomization methods in their applications.
This case serves as a reminder of the risks associated with insufficiently seeded random number generators and the potential for local attackers to exploit such weaknesses. Security teams should prioritize secure coding standards and regular vulnerability assessments to avoid similar issues.
For best practices in penetration testing, organizations can refer to our guide on penetration testing methodology to enhance their security posture.
Organizations should also engage in regular vulnerability management programs to continuously monitor, assess, and mitigate potential risks.
Known Exploitation Timeline
Currently, there are no known exploitation attempts associated with CVE-2025-0218.
EPSS Risk Context
The EPSS score for CVE-2025-0218 is 0.00058, placing it in the 18th percentile, indicating a low probability of widespread exploitation in the near term.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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