# CVE-2018-17188: Code injection in Apache CouchDB

> Admin users could execute arbitrary code on the underlying OS via runtime configuration, potentially leading to full system compromise.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Jan 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6c69-f4qc-5997, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-17188

## What is CVE-2018-17188?

CVE-2018-17188 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Apache CouchDB, published on 2 Jan 2019. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Prior to CouchDB version 2.3.0, CouchDB allowed for runtime-configuration of key components of the database. In some cases, this lead to vulnerabilities where CouchDB admin users could access the underlying operating system as the CouchDB user. Together with other vulnerabilities, it allowed full system entry for unauthenticated users. Rather than waiting for new vulnerabilities to be discovered, and fixing them as they come up, the CouchDB development team decided to make changes to avoid this entire class of vulnerabilities.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-17188?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apache Couchdb.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-17188?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-17188 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-17188 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-17188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache CouchDB

- [CVE-2022-24706](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24706/): Apache CouchDB Insecure Default Initialization of Resource (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-1955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-1955/): Auth bypass in Apache CouchDB (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-12635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12635/): Privilege escalation in Apache CouchDB (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-14889](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14889/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-8742](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8742/): Privilege escalation in Apache CouchDB (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-17188 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-17188 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Apache CouchDB, published on 2 Jan 2019. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-17188 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apache CouchDB. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17188/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17188/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-17188
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17188
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-17188

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17188/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.