How severe is CVE-2017-12636?

CVE-2017-12636 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-12636 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 91% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-12636?

CVE-2017-12636 primarily affects Apache Couchdb. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-12636?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2017-12636 published?

CVE-2017-12636 was published on 2017-11-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-12636

CVE-2017-12636 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Couchdb with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 91% places it in the 100th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-78.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.2)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 91% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Apache Couchdb
Published: 2017-11-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-12636?: 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.
How severe is CVE-2017-12636?: CVE-2017-12636 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.2, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-12636 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 91% (100th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-12636?: CVE-2017-12636 primarily affects Apache Couchdb. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-12636?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2017-12636 published?: CVE-2017-12636 was published on 2017-11-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:2.0.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Apache Couchdb

CVE-2022-24706 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In Apache CouchDB prior to 3.2.2, an attacker can access an improperly secured default installation without…
CVE-2020-1955 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database…
CVE-2017-12635 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Due to differences in the Erlang-based JSON parser and JavaScript-based JSON parser, it is possible in Apache CouchDB…
CVE-2018-14889 — High (CVSS 7.8): CouchDB in Vectra Networks Cognito Brain and Sensor before 4.3 contains a local code execution vulnerability.
CVE-2016-8742 — High (CVSS 7.8): The Windows installer that the Apache CouchDB team provides was vulnerable to local privilege escalation. All files in…
CVE-2021-38295 — High (CVSS 7.3): In Apache CouchDB, a malicious user with permission to create documents in a database is able to attach a HTML…

All CVEs affecting Apache Couchdb →

Other CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-56004 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A shellcode injection in the mercurial handler of the obs tar_scm source service before version 0.12.4 could be used by…
CVE-2026-56415 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Storage Concentrator (SC & SCVM) contains a command injection vulnerability within the debug.pl script that is…
CVE-2026-56413 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Storage Concentrator (SC & SCVM) contains a command injection vulnerability in the ms_service.pl service, which listens…
CVE-2026-49869 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Kestra is an open-source, event-driven orchestration platform. Prior to 1.0.45 and 1.3.21, AuthenticationFilter in…
CVE-2026-49261 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): MariaDB server is a community developed fork of MySQL server. Versions 10.6.1 through 10.6.26, 10.11.1 through…
CVE-2026-10520 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An OS Command Injection vulnerability in Ivanti Sentry before the R10.5.2, R10.6.2 and R10.7.1 versions allows a…

Browse all CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities →