---
id: CVE-2023-5870
title: 'Postgresql: role pg_signal_backend can signal certain superuser processes.'
summary: >-
  A flaw was found in PostgreSQL involving the pg_cancel_backend role that
  signals background workers, including the logical replication launcher,
  autovacuum workers, and the autovacuum launcher. Successful exploitation
  requires a non-core…
severity: low
cvss: 2.2
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-400
vendor: Red Hat
product: advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8
affected:
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:15 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:13 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:12 (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:15 (all versions)'
  - postgresql (all versions)
  - 'postgresql:15 (all versions)'
  - postgresql (all versions)
  - postgresql (all versions)
  - 'postgresql:15 (all versions)'
  - rh-postgresql12-postgresql (all versions)
  - rh-postgresql13-postgresql (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)
  - advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)
  - postgresql
  - postgresql (all versions)
  - 'postgresql:10/postgresql (all versions)'
  - 'postgresql:16/postgresql'
  - 'postgresql:16/postgresql'
  - rh-postgresql10-postgresql (all versions)
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2023-12-19T19:42:25.492582Z'
published: '2023-12-10'
updated: '2026-11-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-06T13:40:03.104Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5870'
references:
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7545'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7545'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7579'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7579'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7580'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7580'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7581'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7581'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7616'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7616'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7656'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7656'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7666'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7666'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7667'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7667'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7694'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7694'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7695'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7695'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7714'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7714'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7770'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7770'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7772'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7772'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7784'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7784'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7785'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7785'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7883'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7883'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7884'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7884'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7885'
    label: 'RHSA-2023:7885'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0304'
    label: 'RHSA-2024:0304'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0332'
    label: 'RHSA-2024:0332'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0337'
    label: 'RHSA-2024:0337'
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-5870'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2247170'
    label: RHBZ#2247170
  - url: >-
      https://www.postgresql.org/about/news/postgresql-161-155-1410-1313-1217-and-1122-released-2749/
  - url: 'https://www.postgresql.org/support/security/CVE-2023-5870/'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.02555
epssPercentile: 0.85154
ingestedAt: '2026-11-06T13:52:17.106Z'
---

## Overview

A flaw was found in PostgreSQL involving the pg_cancel_backend role that signals background workers, including the logical replication launcher, autovacuum workers, and the autovacuum launcher. Successful exploitation requires a non-core extension with a less-resilient background worker and would affect that specific background worker only. This issue may allow a remote high privileged user to launch a denial of service (DoS) attack.

## Affected

- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:15 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:13 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:12 (all versions)`
- `postgresql:15 (all versions)`
- `postgresql (all versions)`
- `postgresql:15 (all versions)`
- `postgresql (all versions)`
- `postgresql (all versions)`
- `postgresql:15 (all versions)`
- `rh-postgresql12-postgresql (all versions)`
- `rh-postgresql13-postgresql (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-central-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-main-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-operator-bundle (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `advanced-cluster-security/rhacs-scanner-db-slim-rhel8 (all versions)`
- `postgresql`
- `postgresql (all versions)`
- `postgresql:10/postgresql (all versions)`
- `postgresql:16/postgresql`
- `postgresql:16/postgresql`
- `rh-postgresql10-postgresql (all versions)`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

### Workarounds

Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options do not meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.