---
id: "CVE-2026-90799"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-90799"]
title: "Apache CouchDB: unsafe deserialisation lets a user exhaust server memory"
severity: "low"
cvss: 1.3
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["couchdb", "database", "package", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["auth-required", "managed-hosting"]
published_at: "2026-10-20T16:17:15+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-25T04:50:06+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90799", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00"}]
---

# Apache CouchDB: unsafe deserialisation lets a user exhaust server memory

Apache CouchDB 3.5.2 and below deserialises untrusted binary data in its chttpd HTTP layer without safe limits. An authenticated user can exhaust server memory and cause a denial of service.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Run `curl -s http://localhost:5984/` on the CouchDB host and read the `version` field; anything at or below `3.5.2` is affected.
- Check the installed version with `couchdb --version` if the binary is on the path.

## Fix

- Upgrade Apache CouchDB to `3.5.3` or later.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:20+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90799

## From the sources

Unsafe binary deserialisation in chttpd in Apache CouchDB 3.5.2 and below on all platforms allows an authenticated user to cause a denial of service via memory exhaustion.

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.5.3, which fixes this issue.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_