CVE-2026-12045

What it is

Read-only transaction bypass in the pgAdmin 4 AI Assistant allows an attacker who can influence database content that the assistant reads to execute arbitrary SQL with the privileges of the pgAdmin user's database role. The AI Assistant's execute_sql_query tool runs LLM-generated SQL inside a BEGIN TRANSACTION READ ONLY wrapper to prevent data modification. The LLM-supplied query was forwarded to the database driver without restriction to a single statement or to read-only verbs, so a multi-statement payload beginning with COMMIT, END, ROLLBACK, or ABORT terminated the read-only transaction and ran subsequent statements in autocommit mode. The trailing ROLLBACK then had no effect. Delivery is via prompt injection: an attacker who can write content into any object the AI Assistant may inspect (a row, a column value, a comment) can cause the LLM to emit the multi-statement payload as a tool call. With ordinary write privileges on the pgAdmin user's role the attacker can perform unauthorised data modification. When the pgAdmin user's role is a PostgreSQL superuser or holds pg_execute_server_program, the chain extends to remote code execution on the database server host via COPY ... TO PROGRAM. Fix validates the LLM-supplied query up front: it must parse to exactly one non-empty / non-comment statement whose leading real token (after stripping whitespace, comments, and punctuation) is one of SELECT, WITH, EXPLAIN, SHOW, VALUES, or TABLE. Transaction-control verbs, DML, DDL, CALL, COPY, DO, SET/RESET, and everything else are rejected before any database work happens. PostgreSQL's READ ONLY mode continues to backstop data-modifying CTEs, EXPLAIN ANALYZE on writes, and volatile side effects. This issue affects pgAdmin 4: from 9.13 before 9.16.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited over the network with a low-privilege account, but needs a user to act. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.7% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2026-06-19 00:16 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-10-25 23:10 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.7% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 9.4 CRITICAL (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2026-06-19 00:16 UTC

Last modified

2026-10-25 23:10 UTC

Exploit probability

0.7% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-77 · Command injection

Record status

Analyzed

Affected

• Pgadmin 4 < 9.16

Attack profile CVSS 4.0 · 9.4

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Attack requirements

None

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

Passive

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2026-12045.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2026-12045. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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