CouchdbApplication · Apache
CVE-2023-26268
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedDesign documents with matching document IDs, from databases on the same cluster, may share a mutable Javascript environment when using these design document functions: * validate_doc_update * list * filter * filter views (using view functions as filters) * rewrite * update This doesn't affect map/reduce or search (Dreyfus) index functions. Users are recommended to upgrade to a version that is no longer affected by this issue (Apache CouchDB 3.3.2 or 3.2.3). Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to cache or store data in the Javascript environment.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceCouchDB design documents with matching IDs across databases on the same cluster share a mutable JavaScript environment, allowing functions in one design document to potentially access or manipulate the environment of another design document. This affects validate_doc_update, list, filter, filter views, rewrite, and update functions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
CouchdbApplication
< 3.2.3>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.2<= 8349CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify your CouchDB or Cloudant versionRun the command `curl http://localhost:5984/` (or your endpoint) and check the 'version' field in the response JSON. For IBM Cloudant, check your service dashboard or run `curl -u <user>:<pass> https://<account>.cloudant.com/`Affected if The version is less than 3.2.3, OR is 3.3.0 or 3.3.1, OR for IBM Cloudant the build number is 8349 or lower
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List all databases in your clusterRun `curl http://localhost:5984/_all_dbs` (or equivalent API endpoint for your deployment) to retrieve a list of all databasesAffected if Multiple databases exist in your cluster, as this is required for the cross-database design document interaction to occur
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Find design documents with matching IDs across different databasesIterate through each database and retrieve design documents using `curl http://localhost:5984/<db>/_design/<docid>` for each database. Compile a list of design document IDs (the <docid> portion) and identify any that appear in more than one databaseAffected if Two or more databases contain design documents with the same ID (such as _design/same_id in both db1 and db2)
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Inspect matched design documents for vulnerable function typesFor each matching design document ID found across databases, retrieve the full document content and check if it contains any of these fields: validate_doc_update, lists, filters, rewrites, or updates. Example: `curl http://localhost:5984/<db>/_design/<docid>`Affected if Design documents with matching IDs across databases contain any of the affected function types (validate_doc_update, list, filter, filter views, rewrite, or update functions)
You are affected if your CouchDB version is below 3.2.3 (or between 3.3.0-3.3.1) or your Cloudant build is 8349 or lower, AND you have design documents with identical IDs across multiple databases that contain JavaScript functions.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped3.2.33.3.2
Upgrade to Apache CouchDB 3.3.2 or 3.2.3. As a workaround, avoid using design documents from untrusted sources.
Apache CouchDB 3.3.2 or 3.2.3 (depending on your current version branch)
- 1. Identify all CouchDB instances in your environment and their current versions
- 2. For CouchDB < 3.2.3: Upgrade to CouchDB 3.2.3
- 3. For CouchDB >= 3.3.0 and < 3.3.2: Upgrade to CouchDB 3.3.2
- 4. For Cloudant <= 8349: Contact IBM Cloud support for the appropriate patch or upgrade path
- 5. After upgrade, verify that design documents function correctly and test validate_doc_update, list, filter, rewrite, and update functions
- 6. If upgrade is not immediately possible, implement the workaround: audit and restrict design documents to only trusted sources, avoiding loading design documents from untrusted origins
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Couchdb
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,416.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-26268 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-26268 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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