Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2014-3120

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from elastic organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Documented in 2014, this vulnerability occurred amid the cloud computing expansion era, where traditional network perimeter security models were being reevaluated. Organizations were transitioning from isolated infrastructure to interconnected systems, creating new attack surfaces that vulnerabilities like this could exploit.

Published

2014-07-28T19:55:04.490

Last Modified

2026-04-22T14:33:20.420

Status

Analyzed

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 8.1 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: MEDIUM
Authentication: NONE
Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
Availability Impact: PARTIAL

Exploitability Score

8.6

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-284
Type: Secondary
CWE-284

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	elastic	elasticsearch	< 1.2.0	Yes

References

http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/ Exploit ([email protected])
http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370 Exploit ([email protected])
http://www.osvdb.org/106949 Broken Link ([email protected])
http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce Exploit, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731 Exploit ([email protected])
https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://www.elastic.co/community/security/ Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearch Exploit ([email protected])
http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/ Exploit (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370 Exploit (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.osvdb.org/106949 Broken Link (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce Exploit, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731 Exploit (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.elastic.co/community/security/ Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearch Exploit (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-3120 US Government Resource (134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For elastic's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.