--- title: How CVE-2026-20253 Turns Splunk’s PostgreSQL Sidecar... description: CVE-2026-20253 is a CVSS 9.8 pre-authentication vulnerability in Splunk Enterprise's PostgreSQL sidecar service. The service exposes an unauthenticated... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/how-cve-2026-20253-turns-splunk-s-postgresql-sidecar-into-an-open-door-eoqau7eyh twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: How CVE-2026-20253 Turns Splunk’s PostgreSQL Sidecar Into an Open Door | daily.dev og:description: CVE-2026-20253 is a CVSS 9.8 pre-authentication vulnerability in Splunk Enterprise's PostgreSQL sidecar service. The service exposes an unauthenticated... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/how-cve-2026-20253-turns-splunk-s-postgresql-sidecar-into-an-open-door-eoqau7eyh og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/EoQau7eyH.png og:image:alt: How CVE-2026-20253 Turns Splunk’s PostgreSQL Sidecar Into an Open Door og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How CVE-2026-20253 Turns Splunk’s PostgreSQL Sidecar Into an Open Door **[Latest Hacking News](https://daily.dev/sources/lhn)** · 4 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary CVE-2026-20253 is a CVSS 9.8 pre-authentication vulnerability in Splunk Enterprise's PostgreSQL sidecar service. The service exposes an unauthenticated file-write endpoint (CWE-306), which attackers can chain with PostgreSQL's lo_export function to achieve remote code execution on the Splunk host. Affected versions include Splunk Enterprise 10.0.x through 10.0.6 and 10.2.x through 10.2.3, plus several Splunk Cloud Platform builds. A public PoC appeared on GitHub on June 13, 2026. No workaround exists — patching to the fixed releases is the only remediation. Given Splunk's privileged position in enterprise environments (log ingestion, elevated OS permissions, long-term credentials), a compromise enables lateral movement, credential harvesting, and log tampering. Security teams should patch immediately and audit filesystems for signs of prior exploitation. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What is CVE-2026-20253 and how does it lead to remote code execution in Splunk? CVE-2026-20253 is a CVSS 9.8 unauthenticated flaw in the PostgreSQL sidecar bundled with Splunk Enterprise. The sidecar exposes a file-write endpoint with no authentication, and combining it with PostgreSQL's lo_export function lets an attacker write a malicious script to a path Splunk later executes, achieving remote code execution without any credentials. _Teams tracking SIEM vulnerabilities can follow Splunk patch guidance and exploit timelines on daily.dev._ ### Which Splunk versions are affected by CVE-2026-20253 and what are the patched releases? Affected versions are Splunk Enterprise 10.0.x through 10.0.6, 10.2.x through 10.2.3, and Splunk Cloud Platform builds below 10.4.2604.3 and 10.2.2510.14. Patched self-hosted releases are 10.2.4, 10.0.7, 10.4.0, 9.4.12, and 9.3.13, while fixed Splunk Cloud builds include 10.4.2604.3, 10.3.2512.12, 10.2.2510.15, 10.1.2507.23, and 9.3.2411.132. _Anyone mapping out an urgent patch cycle can track version-specific fixes for Splunk on daily.dev._ ### Is there a workaround for the Splunk PostgreSQL sidecar RCE vulnerability if I can't patch immediately? No workaround exists for CVE-2026-20253; Splunk confirmed patching is the only fix. As a temporary compensating control, restrict network access to the PostgreSQL sidecar port to reduce exposure while arranging the update, and review server logs and the filesystem for unexpected file creation to check for prior exploitation. _Security teams weighing stopgap mitigations against a hard patch deadline can find guidance like this on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [CISA: Splunk Enterprise flaw actively exploited, patch by Sunday](https://daily.dev/posts/cisa-splunk-enterprise-flaw-actively-exploited-patch-by-sunday-z0vm1ip1q) · BleepingComputer · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Critical Splunk Enterprise Vulnerabilities Allow Unauthenticated File Operations and Remote Code Execution](https://daily.dev/posts/critical-splunk-enterprise-vulnerabilities-allow-unauthenticated-file-operations-and-remote-code-exe-bgqci6rdk) · Orca Security Blog · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Why Use App-Level Auth When Every Database Has Auth? \(Splunk Enterprise CVE-2026-20253 Pre-Auth RCE\)](https://daily.dev/posts/why-use-app-level-auth-when-every-database-has-auth-splunk-enterprise-cve-2026-20253-pre-auth-rce--yw8r64g1b) · watchTowr Labs · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#security](https://daily.dev/tags/security), [#postgresql](https://daily.dev/tags/postgresql), [#logging](https://daily.dev/tags/logging) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/how-cve-2026-20253-turns-splunk-s-postgresql-sidecar-into-an-open-door-eoqau7eyh) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"How CVE-2026-20253 Turns Splunk’s PostgreSQL Sidecar Into an Open Door","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-cve-2026-20253-turns-splunk-s-postgresql-sidecar-into-an-open-door-eoqau7eyh","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/how-cve-2026-20253-turns-splunk-s-postgresql-sidecar-into-an-open-door-eoqau7eyh"},"datePublished":"2026-06-17T08:21:12.677Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T05:57:15.336Z","description":"CVE-2026-20253 is a CVSS 9.8 pre-authentication vulnerability in Splunk Enterprise's PostgreSQL sidecar service. 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The sidecar exposes a file-write endpoint with no authentication, and combining it with PostgreSQL's lo_export function lets an attacker write a malicious script to a path Splunk later executes, achieving remote code execution without any credentials. Teams tracking SIEM vulnerabilities can follow Splunk patch guidance and exploit timelines on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Which Splunk versions are affected by CVE-2026-20253 and what are the patched releases?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Affected versions are Splunk Enterprise 10.0.x through 10.0.6, 10.2.x through 10.2.3, and Splunk Cloud Platform builds below 10.4.2604.3 and 10.2.2510.14. Patched self-hosted releases are 10.2.4, 10.0.7, 10.4.0, 9.4.12, and 9.3.13, while fixed Splunk Cloud builds include 10.4.2604.3, 10.3.2512.12, 10.2.2510.15, 10.1.2507.23, and 9.3.2411.132. 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