CVE-2025-2945: pgAdmin 4 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE-2025-2945 Overview

CVE-2025-2945 is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting pgAdmin 4, a popular open-source administration and management platform for PostgreSQL databases. The vulnerability exists in two critical POST endpoints within the Query Tool and Cloud Deployment modules, where user-controlled input is unsafely passed to Python's eval() function, enabling arbitrary code execution on the server.

The flaw specifically impacts the /sqleditor/query_tool/download endpoint via the query_commited parameter and the /cloud/deploy endpoint via the high_availability parameter. Authenticated attackers can exploit these endpoints to execute arbitrary Python code with the privileges of the pgAdmin web server process, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can achieve remote code execution on pgAdmin 4 servers by exploiting unsafe eval() function calls in the Query Tool and Cloud Deployment modules, potentially compromising database infrastructure and sensitive data.

Affected Products

• pgAdmin 4 versions prior to 9.2
• pgAdmin 4 for PostgreSQL (all platforms)
• pgAdmin 4 web server deployments

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-04-03 - CVE-2025-2945 published to NVD
• 2025-09-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2945

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a classic Code Injection flaw (CWE-94) stemming from the dangerous use of Python's eval() function on untrusted user input. The vulnerability affects two distinct endpoints in pgAdmin 4's web interface, both of which accept POST requests and process parameters without adequate sanitization before passing them to eval().

The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication to the pgAdmin 4 interface. Once authenticated, an attacker can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable endpoints, result in arbitrary Python code execution on the underlying server. This can lead to complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise of the affected system.

Given the typical deployment context of pgAdmin 4 as a database administration tool, successful exploitation could provide attackers with direct access to PostgreSQL database servers, credentials, and sensitive data managed through the platform.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-2945 is the unsafe use of Python's eval() function to process user-supplied input. The eval() function dynamically executes arbitrary Python expressions, and when called with untrusted data, it creates a direct code injection vector.

In the vulnerable pgAdmin 4 code paths, the query_commited parameter in the Query Tool download functionality and the high_availability parameter in the Cloud Deployment module are passed directly to eval() without proper input validation, sanitization, or the use of safer alternatives like ast.literal_eval() or explicit type parsing.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-2945 is network-based, requiring an authenticated session to the pgAdmin 4 web interface. An attacker with valid credentials (even low-privilege access) can exploit the vulnerability through the following attack flow:

1. Authenticate to the pgAdmin 4 web interface
2. Craft a malicious POST request to either /sqleditor/query_tool/download or /cloud/deploy
3. Include Python code injection payload in the query_commited or high_availability parameter respectively
4. The server-side code passes the malicious input to eval(), executing the attacker's code
5. Achieve arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the pgAdmin web server process

The vulnerability allows exploitation without user interaction once authenticated, and the attack complexity is low as it only requires crafting a simple HTTP POST request with the malicious payload.

For detailed technical information regarding the vulnerable code paths and exploitation mechanics, refer to the GitHub Issue Discussion for this vulnerability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2945

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual POST requests to /sqleditor/query_tool/download or /cloud/deploy endpoints containing Python code syntax in parameters
• Web server logs showing requests with suspicious strings like __import__, exec, os.system, or subprocess in POST data
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the pgAdmin web server process
• Anomalous network connections originating from the pgAdmin server to external hosts
• Unauthorized file modifications or new files created in pgAdmin server directories

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests containing Python code injection patterns targeting pgAdmin endpoints
• Monitor pgAdmin web server access logs for suspicious POST requests to the vulnerable endpoints with unusual parameter values
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions to identify anomalous process execution chains originating from the pgAdmin service
• Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on network traffic patterns indicative of post-exploitation activity from pgAdmin servers

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all pgAdmin POST requests, particularly to /sqleditor/query_tool/download and /cloud/deploy endpoints
• Implement file integrity monitoring on pgAdmin installation directories to detect unauthorized modifications
• Monitor system process trees for unexpected child processes spawned by the pgAdmin web server
• Set up alerts for outbound connections from pgAdmin servers to unusual destinations or ports
• Review authentication logs for unusual login patterns or access from unexpected IP addresses

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2945

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade pgAdmin 4 to version 9.2 or later immediately to remediate the vulnerability
• Restrict network access to pgAdmin interfaces using firewall rules, limiting access to trusted IP addresses only
• Review and audit all pgAdmin user accounts, removing unnecessary access and enforcing strong authentication
• Implement network segmentation to isolate pgAdmin servers from critical infrastructure
• Enable comprehensive logging and monitoring on pgAdmin deployments pending upgrade

Patch Information

The vulnerability is addressed in pgAdmin 4 version 9.2. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to fully remediate CVE-2025-2945. The fix involves proper input validation and the removal of unsafe eval() calls on user-controlled parameters.

For additional details on the vulnerability and remediation, consult the GitHub Issue Discussion.

Workarounds

• Implement a reverse proxy or WAF in front of pgAdmin to filter malicious requests targeting the vulnerable endpoints
• Restrict access to pgAdmin interfaces to trusted networks only using firewall rules or VPN requirements
• Disable or restrict access to the Cloud Deployment module if not required for operations
• Consider temporarily disabling pgAdmin web access and using command-line tools for critical database administration tasks until patching is complete

# Example: Restrict pgAdmin access to trusted network using iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5050 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5050 -j DROP

# Example: Configure nginx reverse proxy with basic request filtering
location /sqleditor/query_tool/download {
    # Block requests with suspicious patterns
    if ($request_body ~* "(__|import|exec|eval|os\.|subprocess)") {
        return 403;
    }
    proxy_pass http://pgadmin_backend;
}