CVE-2020-1955
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the...
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
9.8
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
CVE-2020-1955- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.8 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-306
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
CVE-2020-1955- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-12754 No score
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
EUVD-2020-12754- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6625-2573-pv96 No score
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the...
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
GHSA-6625-2573-pv96- Weakness
- CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
9.8
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
CVE-2020-1955- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-couchdb-2020-1955 No score
CouchDB version 3.0.0 shipped with a new configuration setting that governs access control to the entire database server called require_valid_user_except_for_up. It was meant as an extension to the long standing setting require_valid_user, which in turn requires that any and all requests to CouchDB will have to be made with valid credentials, effectively forbidding any anonymous requests. The new require_valid_user_except_for_up is an off-by-default setting that was meant to allow requiring valid credentials for all endpoints except for the /_up endpoint. However, the implementation of this made an error that lead to not enforcing credentials on any endpoint, when enabled. CouchDB versions 3.0.1[1] and 3.1.0[2] fix this issue.
- Record
BIT-couchdb-2020-1955- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
couchdbBitnami |
3.0.0 up to 3.0.1 | 3.0.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, products | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-1955 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Apache Couchdb, published May 20, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.85%, the 79th percentile. Fixed in couchdb 3.0.1.