# CVE-2026-19888: NULL pointer dereference in SCRAM client-final-message parsing in PgBouncer

CVE-2026-19888 is fixed in pgbouncer on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-19888 (version 1.26.0-1), released October 4, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: High.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-19888
- Priority: High
- CVSS: 7.5 (Important)
- EPSS: 0.0039
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Sep 23, 2026
- Weakness: NULL Pointer Dereference
- Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-19888

## Description

Missing validation of a mandatory attribute in the SCRAM client-final-message parser in PgBouncer through 1.25.2 allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the process. A malformed message can make the parser report success while leaving a required value unset, which is then dereferenced as a NULL pointer. The crash occurs before any credential is verified, so no valid account is required. Because PgBouncer serves all clients from a single process, this terminates every pooled connection.

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | pgbouncer Debian 14 | 1.26.0-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-19888](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-19888.md) | Oct 4, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-09T19:38:12Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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