CVE-2022-31197

Workarounds

Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?

Check that you are not using the ResultSet.refreshRow() method.

If you are, ensure that the code that executes that method does not connect to a database that is controlled by an unauthenticated or malicious user. If your application only connects to its own database with a fixed schema with no DDL permissions, then you will not be affected by this vulnerability as it requires a maliciously crafted schema.

What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?

The PGJDBC implementation of the java.sql.ResultRow.refreshRow() method is not performing escaping of column names so a malicious column name that contains a statement terminator, e.g. ;, could lead to SQL injection. This could lead to executing additional SQL commands as the application's JDBC user.

User applications that do not invoke the ResultSet.refreshRow() method are not impacted.

User application that do invoke that method are impacted if the underlying database that they are querying via their JDBC application may be under the control of an attacker. The attack requires the attacker to trick the user into executing SQL against a table name who's column names would contain the malicious SQL and subsequently invoke the refreshRow() method on the ResultSet.

For example:

CREATE TABLE refresh_row_example (
  id     int PRIMARY KEY,
  "1 FROM refresh_row_example; SELECT pg_sleep(10); SELECT * " int
);

This example has a table with two columns. The name of the second column is crafted to contain a statement terminator followed by additional SQL. Invoking the ResultSet.refreshRow() on a ResultSet that queried this table, e.g. SELECT * FROM refresh_row, would cause the additional SQL commands such as the SELECT pg_sleep(10) invocation to be executed.

As the multi statement command would contain multiple results, it would not be possible for the attacker to get data directly out of this approach as the ResultSet.refreshRow() method would throw an exception. However, the attacker could execute any arbitrary SQL including inserting the data into another table that could then be read or any other DML / DDL statement.

Note that the application's JDBC user and the schema owner need not be the same. A JDBC application that executes as a privileged user querying database schemas owned by potentially malicious less-privileged users would be vulnerable. In that situation it may be possible for the malicious user to craft a schema that causes the application to execute commands as the privileged user.

Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.

CVE-2022-31197 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (42.2.26, 42.4.1, 42.3.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?

Yes, versions 42.2.26, 42.3.7, and 42.4.1 have been released with a fix.

1. What is CVE-2022-31197? CVE-2022-31197 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in org.postgresql:postgresql (maven), affecting versions < 42.2.26. It is fixed in 42.2.26, 42.4.1, 42.3.7. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
2. How severe is CVE-2022-31197? CVE-2022-31197 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.postgresql:postgresql are affected by CVE-2022-31197? org.postgresql:postgresql (maven) versions < 42.2.26 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2022-31197? Yes. CVE-2022-31197 is fixed in 42.2.26, 42.4.1, 42.3.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2022-31197 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-31197 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2022-31197 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2022-31197?
   • Upgrade org.postgresql:postgresql to 42.2.26 or later
   • Upgrade org.postgresql:postgresql to 42.4.1 or later
   • Upgrade org.postgresql:postgresql to 42.3.7 or later