CVE-2026-42198
pgjdbc: Unbounded PBKDF2 iterations in SCRAM authentication allows CPU exhaustion DoS
Description
pgjdbc is an open source postgresql JDBC Driver. From version 42.2.0 to before version 42.7.11, pgjdbc is vulnerable to a client-side denial of service during SCRAM-SHA-256 authentication. A malicious server can instruct the driver to perform SCRAM authentication with a very large iteration count. With a large enough value, the client spends an unbounded amount of CPU time inside PBKDF2 before authentication can fail. A single attempt ties up a CPU core. Repeated or concurrent attempts exhaust client CPU and can wedge connection pools. In affected versions, loginTimeout did not fully mitigate this problem. When loginTimeout expired, the caller could stop waiting, but the worker thread performing the connection attempt could continue running and burning CPU inside the SCRAM PBKDF2 computation. This issue has been patched in version 42.7.11.
INFO
Published Date :
April 29, 2026, 4:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
May 1, 2026, 12:51 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update pgjdbc to version 42.7.11 or later.
- Apply patches if updating is not immediately possible.
- Monitor CPU usage on clients during authentication.
Public PoC/Exploit Available at Github
CVE-2026-42198 has a 3 public
PoC/Exploit available at Github.
Go to the Public Exploits tab to see the list.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-42198.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/releases/tag/REL42.7.11 | Release Notes |
| https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/security/advisories/GHSA-98qh-xjc8-98pq | Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-42198 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-42198
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
None
Java JavaScript HTML CSS
Um sistema de gerenciamento de tickets de suporte técnico desenvolvido em Java com autenticação JWT, persistência JPA e interface web responsiva.
Java JavaScript HTML CSS PowerShell
None
Java Python Dockerfile JavaScript HTML TypeScript CSS
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-42198 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-42198 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
May. 01, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:postgresql:postgresql_jdbc_driver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 42.2.0 up to (excluding) 42.7.11 Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/releases/tag/REL42.7.11 Types: Release Notes Added Reference Type GitHub, Inc.: https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/security/advisories/GHSA-98qh-xjc8-98pq Types: Vendor Advisory -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Apr. 29, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description pgjdbc is an open source postgresql JDBC Driver. From version 42.2.0 to before version 42.7.11, pgjdbc is vulnerable to a client-side denial of service during SCRAM-SHA-256 authentication. A malicious server can instruct the driver to perform SCRAM authentication with a very large iteration count. With a large enough value, the client spends an unbounded amount of CPU time inside PBKDF2 before authentication can fail. A single attempt ties up a CPU core. Repeated or concurrent attempts exhaust client CPU and can wedge connection pools. In affected versions, loginTimeout did not fully mitigate this problem. When loginTimeout expired, the caller could stop waiting, but the worker thread performing the connection attempt could continue running and burning CPU inside the SCRAM PBKDF2 computation. This issue has been patched in version 42.7.11. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Added CWE CWE-770 Added Reference https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/releases/tag/REL42.7.11 Added Reference https://github.com/pgjdbc/pgjdbc/security/advisories/GHSA-98qh-xjc8-98pq