Read the docs
TI-2017-09360 Aliases CVE-2017-12635GHSA-f3p2-qqmm-jg8f

Improper privilege management in Apache CouchDB

Priority CRITICAL 87CWE-269Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Privilege escalation
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
No fix listed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.

Summary

Due 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 before 2.1.1 to submit _users documents with duplicate keys for 'roles' used for access control within the database, including the special case '_admin' role, that denotes administrative users. In combination with CVE-2017-12636 (Remote Code Execution), this can be used to give non-admin users access to arbitrary shell commands on the server as the database system user. The JSON parser differences result in behaviour that if two 'roles' keys are available in the JSON, the second one will be used for authorising the document write, but the first 'roles' key is used for subsequent authorization for the newly created user. By design, users can not assign themselves roles. The vulnerability allows non-admin users to give themselves admin privileges.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.99838 99th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 2 exploit referencesTagged by the CNA
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
ApacheApache CouchDB1.2.0 to 1.6.1; 2.0.0 to 2.1.0—No fix listedCNA
  • Apache CouchDB VendorApache Affected 1.2.0 to 1.6.1; 2.0.0 to 2.1.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 6

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 1.7.0VulnerableApache
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.0.0VulnerableApache
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*2.0.0 rc1VulnerableApache
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*2.0.0 rc2VulnerableApache
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*2.0.0 rc3VulnerableApache
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*2.0.0 rc4VulnerableApache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 1.7.0 Vulnerable ·Apache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.0.0 Vulnerable ·Apache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.0.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Apache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.0.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Apache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.0.0 rc3 Vulnerable ·Apache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.0.0 rc4 Vulnerable ·Apache

Remediation

No fixed version listed by the sources yet.

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Advisory ·

    Apache CouchDB — GLSA-201711-16

    2 records Highest priority Priority CRITICAL 1 CRITICAL, 1 HIGH

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2017-09361 OS command injection in Apache CouchDBPriority HIGH 74
    Show all 2 records → Advisory →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2017-12635
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f3p2-qqmm-jg8f

References

Exploit 2

Advisory 1

Other 3

  • TI-2022-08521 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in Packaging KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2017-09361 OS command injection in Apache CouchDB CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.2
  • TI-2020-01879 Missing authentication in Apache CouchDB CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2018-05784 Improper input validation in Apache CouchDB CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.2
  • TI-2018-08426 CouchDB administrative users before 2.2.0 can configure the database server via HTTP(S). CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.2
  • TI-2014-02145 Apache CouchDB 1.5.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 5.0
See all 19 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences