SLES 16 — postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide

📖 ~4 min read  •  Source: SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1 (see also SUSE bugzilla)

Related CVEs: CVE-2024-4317

Upstream summary: Missing authorization in PostgreSQL built-in views pg_stats_ext and pg_stats_ext_exprs allows an unprivileged database user to read most common values and other statistics from CREATE STATISTICS commands of other users. The most common values may reveal column values the eavesdropper could not otherwise read or results of functions they cannot execute. Installing an unaffected version only fixes fresh PostgreSQL installations, namely those that are created with the initdb uti

Table of contents

1. Symptom & Impact
2. Environment & Reproduction
3. Root Cause Analysis
4. Quick Triage
5. Step-by-Step Diagnosis
6. Solution – Primary Fix
7. Solution – Alternative Approaches
8. Verification & Acceptance Criteria
9. Rollback Plan
10. Prevention & Hardening
11. Related Errors & Cross-Refs
12. References & Further Reading

Symptom & Impact

On SLES 16 hosts that have postgresql14 installed, administrators report behaviour consistent with SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1: zypper patch-check lists open patches, services backed by postgresql14 fail or restart unexpectedly, SELinux denials (avc) appear in ausearch — and for security-rated advisories the host is exposed to the vulnerability set above. Impact ranges from a single service-restart loop to wider availability incidents whenever postgresql14 sits on the serving path.

Environment & Reproduction

Reproduction targets SLES 16. Confirm release, registration, and installed package:

cat /etc/os-release
SUSEConnect --status-text
SUSEConnect --list-extensions 2>/dev/null | head -30
rpm -q postgresql14
zypper info postgresql14 | head -20

Trigger the workflow that exposes postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide while collecting:

sudo journalctl -u postgresql14 -b --no-pager | tail -200
sudo journalctl -xe --no-pager | tail -200
sudo tail -200 /var/log/zypp/history
sudo tail -200 /var/log/audit/audit.log
# For SUSE support, bundle evidence with supportconfig:
sudo supportconfig -R /var/tmp -B postgresql14

Root Cause Analysis

Root cause is documented in SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1. SUSE security maintainers shipped fixes in the corresponding postgresql14 update for SLES 16; running an outdated build leaves the host exposed to the failure modes described in the advisory. Correlate zypper history with system logs:

sudo zypper history | grep postgresql14
sudo zypper history --since='-7 days' | tail -40
sudo ausearch -m AVC,USER_AVC -ts today | tail -100
cat /proc/sys/kernel/tainted   # non-zero = tainted kernel / out-of-tree modules

Quick Triage

Run these on SLES 16 to capture the current state of postgresql14:

rpm -q postgresql14                              # installed NVR
rpm -V postgresql14                              # verify shipped files
sudo zypper patch-check                    # open patches
sudo zypper lp -r SUSE-SLE-Server-16-* 2>/dev/null | head
systemctl --failed --no-pager
sudo firewall-cmd --list-all
getenforce                                  # SELinux mode
# If postgresql14 ships a systemd unit (unit name may differ from pkg name, e.g.
# bind→named, postgresql-server→postgresql, php-fpm→php-fpm):
systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i postgresql14 | head

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

1. List failed systemd units.

   systemctl --failed --no-pager

2. Tail the journal for postgresql14 and the system bus.

   sudo journalctl -u postgresql14 -f --no-pager
   sudo journalctl -xe -f --no-pager

3. Inspect firewall posture (firewalld is the default on SLES 15+).

   sudo firewall-cmd --list-all-zones --permanent
   sudo nft list ruleset 2>/dev/null | head -50

4. Surface SELinux denials and author a local policy module if needed.

   sudo ausearch -m AVC,USER_AVC -ts today
   sudo ausearch -m AVC -ts today | audit2allow -a -M /tmp/local-fix
   sudo semodule -i /tmp/local-fix.pp

5. Verify postgresql14 integrity and reinstall if anything is altered.

   sudo rpm -V postgresql14
   sudo zypper verify
   sudo zypper install --force postgresql14

6. Correlate findings with /var/log/zypp/history, zypper history, and SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1 to pin the change that introduced postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide.

Solution – Primary Fix

Apply the corrective zypper transaction referenced by SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1, then reload affected systemd units:

sudo zypper ref                        # refresh repos
sudo zypper -n patch                   # apply ALL open patches (recommended)
# Or target a single package:
sudo zypper -n update postgresql14
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
# Unit name may differ from pkg name; check first:
systemctl list-unit-files | grep -i postgresql14 | head
sudo systemctl restart postgresql14
rpm -q postgresql14                           # confirm new NVR
systemctl is-active postgresql14 2>/dev/null  # confirm running (if a unit exists)

For kernel / glibc / systemd / openssl advisories a reboot is required (or SLE Live Patching where licensed):

sudo zypper ps -s                      # services using deleted libs
sudo systemctl reboot                  # or: sudo shutdown -r now
# SUSE Live Patching (kgraft / klp) avoids reboot for kernel CVEs:
sudo zypper install -y kernel-livepatch-$(uname -r | tr - _)
klp -v patches                         # active livepatches

Solution – Alternative Approaches

If the primary patch is not viable, choose from these:

• Roll back via Snapper (Btrfs snapshots taken automatically before zypper transactions on SLES 16):

  sudo snapper list
  sudo snapper undochange <pre>..<post>  # diff between two snapshot numbers
  sudo snapper rollback <pre>            # boot the host into the chosen snapshot

• Lock the package so zypper cannot upgrade it:

  sudo zypper al postgresql14                   # add lock
  zypper ll | grep postgresql14                 # list locks
  sudo zypper rl postgresql14                   # remove lock

• Install an older NVR if a regression is suspected:

  zypper se -s postgresql14                     # show all available versions
  sudo zypper install --oldpackage postgresql14-<older-NVR>

• Switch SELinux to permissive briefly to confirm policy is the cause, then re-enforce:

  sudo setenforce 0
  # reproduce, capture denials, author a custom module:
  sudo ausearch -m AVC -ts recent | audit2allow -a -M mylocal
  sudo semodule -i mylocal.pp
  sudo setenforce 1

• Where SLE Live Patching is licensed, apply kernel fixes without reboot:

  klp -v patches                         # active livepatches
  sudo zypper install -y kernel-livepatch-$(uname -r | tr - _)

Verification & Acceptance Criteria

All of these should pass after the fix:

rpm -q postgresql14                                            # expected fixed NVR
sudo zypper patch-check                                  # 0 critical patches outstanding
systemctl is-active postgresql14 2>/dev/null
sudo journalctl -u postgresql14 --since "5 minutes ago" --no-pager | grep -iE "error|fail" || echo OK
sudo firewall-cmd --list-services
getenforce
sudo zypper ps -s                                        # any services still using deleted libs

The original reproduction for postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide must not trigger across two consecutive runs.

Rollback Plan

Capture state before any change:

rpm -qa > /root/rpm-pre.txt
sudo zypper history list > /root/zypper-history-pre.txt
# Snapper takes pre/post snapshots automatically on Btrfs root.
sudo snapper create -d 'pre-patch-postgresql14'   # explicit named snapshot
sudo snapper list | head

To revert if the patch is bad:

# Preferred on Btrfs root — boot the prior snapshot:
sudo snapper rollback <snapshot-id>
sudo systemctl reboot
# Or downgrade just the package:
sudo zypper install --oldpackage postgresql14-<older-NVR>
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart postgresql14
# Custom security policy cleanup:
sudo semodule -r mylocal

Prevention & Hardening

Reduce the chance of this recurring on SLES 16:

• Enable automatic patch installation:

  sudo zypper install -y zypper-automatic
  sudo systemctl enable --now zypper-automatic.timer
  # Or use YaST: yast2 online_update_configuration

• Subscribe to sle-security-updates and watch suse.com/support/update.

• Mirror through SUSE Manager or RMT (Repository Mirroring Tool) for controlled rollouts:

  sudo zypper install -y rmt-server rmt-cli
  sudo rmt-cli sync
  sudo rmt-cli products enable SLES/16/x86_64

• Lock sensitive packages so they cannot be auto-upgraded:

  sudo zypper al postgresql14

• Ensure Snapper is enabled on the root subvolume and pre/post hooks run for every zypper transaction:

  sudo snapper -c root get-config | head
  # Default zypper plugin: /usr/lib/zypp/plugins/commit/snapper.zypp-commit-plugin

• Monitor file integrity with AIDE:

  sudo zypper install -y aide
  sudo aide --init && sudo mv /var/lib/aide/aide.db.new /var/lib/aide/aide.db
  sudo aide --check

• Subscribe to SUSE Live Patching so kernel CVEs can be remediated without reboot:

  sudo SUSEConnect -p sle-module-live-patching/16.0/x86_64
  sudo zypper install -y kernel-livepatch-$(uname -r | tr - _)
  klp -v patches

• SLES 16 ships with SELinux in enforcing mode by default; review and maintain custom modules in /etc/selinux/targeted/ rather than disabling enforcement.

• Apply CIS SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Benchmark hardening.

Related Errors & Cross-Refs

Issues that commonly surface alongside postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide: zypper lock contention, systemd unit ordering cycles, SELinux AVC bursts, firewalld zone drift, and kernel taint flags. Useful triage:

sudo zypper ps -s
systemd-analyze critical-chain
sudo ausearch -m AVC -ts today | tail
sudo firewall-cmd --get-active-zones
cat /proc/sys/kernel/tainted

View all sles-16 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub →

Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.

References & Further Reading

Primary reference: SUSE advisory SUSE-SU-2024:1651-1 (see also SUSE bugzilla). Manual pages useful on SLES 16:

man zypper
man zypper.conf
man systemctl
man journalctl
man firewall-cmd
man snapper
man semanage
man audit2allow
man SUSEConnect
man klp

Other resources: SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16 documentation, suse.com/security, SUSE security blog, and per-package notes in /usr/share/doc/packages/postgresql14/ for components implicated in postgresql14 — vulnerability — patch and remediation guide.