CVE-2026-7816: High-Severity OS Command Injection Flaw Found in pgAdmin 4 Import/Export Module

A critical OS command injection vulnerability has been identified in pgAdmin 4, the widely-used open-source administration platform for PostgreSQL databases. Tracked as CVE-2026-7816 and assigned a CVSS score of 8.8 (High), the flaw resides in the Import/Export query export functionality, where user-supplied input is concatenated directly into a psql \copy metacommand template without sanitization or proper escaping.

The vulnerability stems from a classic CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) weakness: the application constructs the \copy command by interpolating untrusted data into a template string, allowing an authenticated attacker to break out of the intended command context. Proof-of-concept exploitation demonstrates that a malicious user can inject payloads such as ") TO PROGRAM 'cmd'..." to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the host running pgAdmin 4.

The flaw affects any deployment where users have access to the Import/Export feature, a common utility for data migration and backup operations. Given that pgAdmin 4 is typically deployed on servers with direct access to database files and often runs with elevated privileges, successful exploitation could allow an attacker to pivot from a compromised database session to full system compromise. Organizations running pgAdmin 4 should prioritize applying available patches, restrict user access to untrusted accounts, and monitor for anomalous \copy command behavior in their PostgreSQL environments.