MongoDB Server: Denial of service via uncontrolled recursion in time-series queries
Summary
MongoDB Server's query processing component contains an uncontrolled recursion flaw in query compilation for time-series collections. An authenticated user with read privileges can send a crafted query that exhausts the stack and terminates the mongod process. The impact is limited to availability, and the attack requires a valid account with read rights.
Affected
- MongoDB Server 9.0.0 to before 9.0.7
- MongoDB Server 8.3.0 to before 8.3.16
- Older branches: Unknown.
Fixed in
- MongoDB Server 9.0.7
- MongoDB Server 8.3.16
- Older branches: Unknown.
Workaround
Unknown. No vendor-published workaround was found.
Exploitation
- No evidence of exploitation in the wild found.
- No public proof-of-concept or exploit code found.
- Not listed in CISA KEV.
Our recommendation
- Identify all MongoDB Server instances and their versions, especially 9.0.x before 9.0.7 and 8.3.x before 8.3.16.
- Upgrade to 9.0.7 or 8.3.16 or later. The same release also addresses the more severe CVE-2026-118383.
- Review accounts with read privileges and remove unneeded accounts.
- Restrict firewall rules and bind addresses so mongod is not reachable from untrusted networks.
- Check the Jira ticket SERVER-131961 for older branches and the vendor advisory for final details.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- CVE Record CVE-2026-120812 www.cve.org
- MongoDB Jira SERVER-131961 jira.mongodb.org
- MongoDB Alerts www.mongodb.com
- MongoDB community security update, 10 Nov 2026 www.mongodb.com
- SecurityOnline: MongoDB Server CVE-2026-118383 fixed securityonline.info
- CVE-2026-120812 tracker (threatint) cve.threatint.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 14:47.
Original description (NVD)
An issue in MongoDB Server's query processing component allows an authenticated user with read privileges to cause a denial of service. Uncontrolled recursion in an internal query compilation component can lead to stack exhaustion and server process termination when processing certain queries against time-series collections.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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