The Basics
- Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x):
32.0.14
- Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):
AlmaLinux 9.8
- Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25):
Apache 2.4.68 (codeit)
- Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
Apache 2.4.68 (codeit)
- PHP version (e.g, 8.3):
8.4.25
- Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
Yes
- When did this problem seem to first start?
2026-08-31 19:00 (EST)
- Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
Manual with a dedicated DB server
- Are you using CloudfIare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)
No
Summary of the issue you are facing:
3 days ago, the CPU usage started increasing all of a sudden. At first, 1 CPU core was running at 100% for 24 hours. 2 days ago, CPU usage increased by another full CPU core, same thing Yesterday, until CPU usage on my 4 cores server came to 100%. Then I got alerted by Zabbix that my Nextcloud server was running at 100% CPU.
Using top, I noticed that 4 php workers were all running at 100%. Nothing in php logs or error logs, no call in httpd’s access_log, and no Nextcloud logs.
The time at which the CPU increased seem to be when a cron job has run.
See at the bottom of the post the CPU consumption graph from Zabbix.
The DB server CPU usage did not move at all, so no database calls were being generated by the bug.
Last reboot before the bug was 3 days prior to first CPU increase, on August 28, so it ran fine before that.
Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):
-
The server runs fine
-
CPU usage increases daily, one core going up to 100% at a time, until no CPU time is available.
Log entries
Nextcloud
These are the only 2 log entries I have at the time the latest CPU began its spike. Seems like a cron job just ran right when the last CPU core increased to 100%
Info
spreed
Deleted 2 stale sessions
3 sept. 2026, 17:01:04
Info
dav
Removed outdated scheduling objects
3 sept. 2026, 17:01:04
Web Browser
Not related to Web browser
Web server / Reverse Proxy
Nothing in the logs at time of event.
Configuration
Nextcloud
{
"system": {
"instanceid": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"passwordsalt": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"secret": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"trusted_domains": [
"REMOVED"
],
"trusted_proxies": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"overwritehost": "REMOVED",
"overwriteprotocol": "https",
"overwrite.cli.url": "https:\/\/REMOVED",
"datadirectory": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbtype": "mysql",
"version": "32.0.14.1",
"dbname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbhost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbport": "3306",
"dbtableprefix": "oc_",
"mysql.utf8mb4": true,
"dbuser": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"dbpassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"installed": true,
"mail_smtpmode": "smtp",
"mail_sendmailmode": "smtp",
"mail_from_address": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_domain": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtpauthtype": "LOGIN",
"mail_smtpauth": true,
"mail_smtphost": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtpport": "587",
"mail_smtpname": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"mail_smtppassword": "***REMOVED SENSITIVE VALUE***",
"default_phone_region": "CA",
"memcache.local": "\\OC\\Memcache\\APCu",
"maintenance": false,
"maintenance_window_start": 21,
"theme": "",
"has_internet_connection": true,
"loglevel": 0,
"app_install_overwrite": [],
"ldapProviderFactory": "OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAPProviderFactory"
}
}
Apps
The output of occ app:list (if possible).
Enabled:
- activity: 5.0.0
- admin_audit: 1.22.0
- app_api: 32.0.0
- appointments: 2.7.4
- bruteforcesettings: 5.0.0
- calendar: 6.5.4
- circles: 32.0.0
- cloud_federation_api: 1.16.0
- comments: 1.22.0
- contacts: 8.3.18
- contactsinteraction: 1.13.1
- dashboard: 7.12.0
- dav: 1.34.3
- deck: 1.16.7
- federatedfilesharing: 1.22.0
- federation: 1.22.0
- files: 2.4.0
- files_antivirus: 6.4.0
- files_downloadlimit: 5.0.0
- files_pdfviewer: 5.0.0
- files_reminders: 1.5.0
- files_sharing: 1.24.1
- files_trashbin: 1.22.0
- files_versions: 1.25.0
- firstrunwizard: 5.0.0
- forms: 5.3.5
- logreader: 5.0.0
- lookup_server_connector: 1.20.0
- mail: 5.11.2
- nextcloud_announcements: 4.0.0
- notifications: 5.0.0
- oauth2: 1.20.0
- password_policy: 4.0.0
- photos: 5.0.0
- privacy: 4.0.0
- profile: 1.1.0
- provisioning_api: 1.22.0
- recommendations: 5.0.0
- related_resources: 3.0.0
- richdocuments: 9.2.1
- richdocumentscode: 26.4.104
- serverinfo: 4.0.0
- settings: 1.15.1
- sharebymail: 1.22.0
- spreed: 22.0.17
- support: 4.0.0
- survey_client: 4.0.0
- systemtags: 1.22.0
- text: 6.0.2
- theming: 2.7.0
- twofactor_backupcodes: 1.21.0
- twofactor_totp: 14.0.0
- updatenotification: 1.22.0
- user_ldap: 1.23.0
- user_status: 1.12.0
- viewer: 5.0.0
- weather_status: 1.12.0
- webhook_listeners: 1.3.0
- workflowengine: 2.14.0
Disabled:
- encryption: 2.20.0
- files_external: 1.24.1
- notify_push: 1.4.0 (installed 1.4.0)
- suspicious_login: 10.0.0
- twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 6.0.0
CPU usage graph of the past 3 days:
Thank you guys for helping! 
