CVE-2023-45725
Apache CouchDB, IBM Cloudant: Privilege Escalation Using _design Documents
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
5.7
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
CVE-2023-45725- CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Apache CouchDB, IBM Cloudant: Privilege Escalation Using _design Documents
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
CVE-2023-45725- Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-50014 No score
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
EUVD-2023-50014- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-rmfx-8gmj-c39q
5.7
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or...
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
GHSA-rmfx-8gmj-c39q- CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-45725
5.7
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document. These design document functions are: * list * show * rewrite * update An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function. For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document. Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-45725- CVSS 3.1
- 5.7 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-couchdb-2023-45725 No score
Apache CouchDB, IBM Cloudant: Privilege Escalation Using _design Documents
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
BIT-couchdb-2023-45725- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV No score
Apache CouchDB, IBM Cloudant: Privilege Escalation Using _design Documents
Design document functions which receive a user http request object may expose authorization or session cookie headers of the user who accesses the document.
These design document functions are:
- list
- show
- rewrite
- update
An attacker can leak the session component using an HTML-like output, insert the session as an external resource (such as an image), or store the credential in a _local document with an "update" function.
For the attack to succeed the attacker has to be able to insert the design documents into the database, then manipulate a user to access a function from that design document.
Workaround: Avoid using design documents from untrusted sources which may attempt to access or manipulate request object's headers
- Record
CVE-2023-45725- Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-45725 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.7) in Apache Couchdb, published December 13, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.23%, the 69th percentile. Fixed in couchdb 3.3.3.
References
lists.apache.org/thread/pqjq9zt8vq9rsobkc1cow9sqm9vozlrg
docs.couchdb.org/en/stable/cve/2023-45725.html
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45725
github.com/advisories/GHSA-rmfx-8gmj-c39q
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/45xxx/CVE-2023-45725.json
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-45725
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45725