CVE-2024-49042: Azure PostgreSQL Privilege Escalation

CVE-2024-49042 Overview

CVE-2024-49042 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server. The flaw resides in the extension handling logic and is categorized under [CWE-77] Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command. An authenticated attacker with high privileges on a PostgreSQL Flexible Server instance can leverage the vulnerability to escalate privileges within the database service. Microsoft published the advisory on November 12, 2024, and released a service-side fix without requiring customer action for the managed platform.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can escalate privileges through PostgreSQL extension abuse, breaching tenant isolation boundaries and impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the database service.

Affected Products

Microsoft Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server
PostgreSQL extension subsystem on the managed Flexible Server offering
Tenants running server-side extensions on affected Azure regions

Discovery Timeline

2024-11-12 - CVE-2024-49042 published to NVD by Microsoft
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-49042

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects the extension mechanism inside Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server. PostgreSQL extensions can register functions, operators, and background workers that execute in the server process context. When the service fails to properly neutralize command elements passed through an extension interface, an authenticated user can influence commands executed by higher-privileged components. This produces an elevation of privilege condition within the managed database service.

The [CWE-77] classification indicates a command injection–class weakness. Attackers require existing high-privilege access on the target instance, such as a role permitted to create or interact with vulnerable extensions. Successful exploitation yields high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the database instance, which can undermine the tenant isolation guarantees of the managed PostgreSQL platform.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements in command strings processed by an extension interface within the Flexible Server managed environment. The extension subsystem trusted input that should have been sanitized before being passed to command execution paths, allowing an attacker to alter the intended command semantics.

Attack Vector

The attack originates over the network against a targeted PostgreSQL Flexible Server. The attacker authenticates with high privileges on the database, then abuses the vulnerable extension pathway to execute commands with elevated context. No user interaction is required. Because the impact stays within the database service scope, the attack does not automatically cross into the underlying Azure host, but it can compromise data and workloads inside the affected server. Refer to the Microsoft Security Update CVE-2024-49042 advisory for detailed technical notes.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49042

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected CREATE EXTENSION, ALTER EXTENSION, or DROP EXTENSION statements issued by non-administrative roles
New superuser-equivalent role grants, ownership changes, or pg_authid modifications following extension activity
PostgreSQL server log entries showing malformed or unusual arguments passed to extension-provided functions

Detection Strategies

Enable and review the pgaudit extension for DDL and role-change events, focusing on extension-related operations
Correlate Azure Monitor and PostgreSQL server logs to identify privilege escalations that follow extension usage by non-admin users
Baseline expected extensions per instance and alert on any deviation or newly created extension objects

Monitoring Recommendations

Stream PostgreSQL Flexible Server diagnostic logs to a centralized analytics workspace for retention and query
Monitor role membership changes, including additions to azure_pg_admin and any custom high-privilege roles
Alert on authentication from unexpected source IP ranges to database administrator accounts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49042

Immediate Actions Required

Confirm the affected Flexible Server instances are running Microsoft's patched service version, which is applied automatically by the managed platform
Audit database roles and remove unused high-privilege accounts that could be abused to reach the extension surface
Rotate credentials for administrative PostgreSQL roles if suspicious extension activity is observed in historical logs

Patch Information

Microsoft released a service-side fix documented in the Microsoft Security Update CVE-2024-49042 advisory. Because Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server is a managed service, Microsoft applied the update to the platform. Customers should verify their server generation and extension configurations align with current Microsoft guidance.

Workarounds

Restrict the allowlisted_extensions server parameter to only extensions required by the workload
Limit which roles hold CREATEROLE, azure_pg_admin, or extension-management privileges
Enforce private networking, firewall rules, and Microsoft Entra ID authentication to reduce exposure of privileged database accounts

bash

# Example: restrict allowed extensions on Azure Database for PostgreSQL Flexible Server
az postgres flexible-server parameter set \
  --resource-group <resource-group> \
  --server-name <server-name> \
  --name azure.extensions \
  --value "PGCRYPTO,PG_STAT_STATEMENTS"

# Review current role privileges from psql
# \du+