How severe is CVE-2021-38295?

CVE-2021-38295 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-38295 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-38295?

CVE-2021-38295 affects Apache Couchdb. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38295?

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-2021-38295 published?

CVE-2021-38295 was published on 2021-10-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-38295

CVE-2021-38295 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Couchdb with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-79.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.3)
CVSS v2: 6.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-79
Affected product: Apache Couchdb
Published: 2021-10-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Apache CouchDB, a malicious user with permission to create documents in a database is able to attach a HTML attachment to a document. If a CouchDB admin opens that attachment in a browser, e.g. via the CouchDB admin interface Fauxton, any JavaScript code embedded in that HTML attachment will be executed within the security context of that admin. A similar route is available with the already deprecated _show and _list functionality. This privilege escalation vulnerability allows an attacker to add or remove data in any database or make configuration changes. This issue affected Apache CouchDB prior to 3.1.2

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-38295?: In Apache CouchDB, a malicious user with permission to create documents in a database is able to attach a HTML attachment to a document. If a CouchDB admin opens that attachment in a browser, e.g. via the CouchDB admin interface Fauxton, any JavaScript code embedded in that HTML attachment will be executed within the security context of that admin. A similar route is available with the already deprecated _show and _list functionality. This privilege escalation vulnerability allows an attacker to add or remove data in any database or make configuration changes. This issue affected Apache CouchDB prior to 3.1.2
How severe is CVE-2021-38295?: CVE-2021-38295 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.3, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-38295 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-38295?: CVE-2021-38295 affects Apache Couchdb. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-38295?: 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-2021-38295 published?: CVE-2021-38295 was published on 2021-10-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://docs.couchdb.org/en/stable/cve/2021-38295.html

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:couchdb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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