CVE-2021-38295
Publication date 14 October 2021
Last updated 26 August 2025
Ubuntu priority
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
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| couchdb | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 25.10 questing | Not in release | |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Needs evaluation
|
Severity score breakdown
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Base score |
7.3 · High
|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |