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CVE-2017-12636· NVD / CVE Program· CNA apache

CouchDB administrative users can configure the database server via HTTP(S).

CouchDB administrative users can configure the database server via HTTP(S). Some of the configuration options include paths for operating system-level binaries that are subsequently launched by CouchDB. This allows an admin user in Apache CouchDB before 1.7.0 and 2.x before 2.1.1 to execute arbitrary shell commands as the CouchDB user, including downloading and executing scripts from the public internet.

HighCVSS 7.2 · v3.0—Weaponized Fix available
Published
Nov 14, 2017
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
89.7% · 100th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

55

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
28 / 40 · 7.2 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
27 / 30 · 89.7%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
apachecouchdb

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • apache couchdbbefore 1.7.0
  • apache couchdb2.0.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache CouchDB

    • 1.2.0 to 1.6.1, 2.0.0 to 2.1.0affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:7couchdbbefore 1.2.0-5+deb7u11.2.0-5+deb7u1
SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7couchdbbefore 1.7.2-2.8.21.7.2-2.8.2

Same product

apache: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2022-24706Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in PackagingKEV
    97Now
  • CVE-2017-12635Due to differences in the Erlang-based JSON parser and JavaScript-based JSON parser, it is possible in Apache CouchDB before 1.7.0 and 2.x b
    69This week
  • CVE-2020-1955CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called `require_val
    40Plan
  • CVE-2016-8742The Windows installer that the Apache CouchDB team provides was vulnerable to local privilege escalation.
    32Monitor
  • CVE-2018-8007Apache CouchDB administrative users can configure the database server via HTTP(S).
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2021-38295Privilege escalation vulnerability when using HTML attachments
    30Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:couchdb1.2.0-5+deb7u1 · Debian:7Package registry (OSV)
suse:couchdb1.7.2-2.8.2 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1
  • Exploit-DB entry ×3
  • Nuclei detection template ×1
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×2

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Exploit-DB entryremote2018-07-13
Exploit-DB entryremote2018-07-13
Exploit-DB entrywebapps2018-06-20
Metasploit moduleexploit/linux/http/apache_couchdb_cmd_execApache CouchDB Arbitrary Command Executionexploit2016-04-06
Nuclei detection templateNuclei template CVE-2017-12635 —
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:32018-08-25
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:62020-03-23

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-588 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoC+217 d
  4. TodaySep 30, 2026+3242 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • Administrator privileges are required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-78 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
const host = req.body.host;exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);

Fixed

ts
const host = req.body.host;if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records