Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2025-13780: pgadmin4 has a Meta-Command Filter Command Execution
pgAdmin versions up to 9.10 are affected by a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability that occurs when running in server mode and performing restores from PLAIN-format dump files.
CVSS 9.1 Critical EPSS 0.9% · p61
Should you act?
Critical, preconditions apply
Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.9%, percentile 61: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 61% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (low (any account)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
pgadmin4(PyPI) < 9.11, fixed in 9.11. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
pgAdmin versions up to 9.10 are affected by a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability that occurs when running in server mode and performing restores from PLAIN-format dump files. This issue allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the server hosting pgAdmin, posing a critical risk to the integrity and security of the database management system and underlying data.
From the GitHub advisory
The PLAIN restore meta-command filter introduced in pgAdmin as part of the fix for CVE-2025-12762 does not detect meta-commands when a SQL file begins with a UTF-8 Byte Order Mark (EF BB BF) or other special byte sequences. The implemented filter uses the function hasmetacommands(), which scans raw bytes using a regular expression. The regex does not treat the bytes as ignorable, so meta-commands such as \\! remain undetected. When pgAdmin invokes psql with --file, psql strips the bytes and executes the command. This can result in remote command execution during a restore operation.
Weakness type: CWE-94, CWE-77.
Product: pgadmin4 (PyPI) · Assigned by: PostgreSQL · Published: 2025-12-11
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | pgadmin4 | < 9.11 | 9.11 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| pgadmin.org | pgAdmin 4 | <= 9.10 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| PostgreSQL | 3.1 | 9.1 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: low (any account)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: changed (can affect other components)
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.94% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 61.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by PostgreSQL
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-fxmw-jcgr-w44v published (critical)
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-fxmw-jcgr-w44v github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2025-13780 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2025-13780 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com
- github.com github.com