Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key (CWE-639) in Elasticsearch can lead to Information Disclosure via a specially crafted cross-cluster search request that references an unauthorized shard identifier. Elasticsearch contains an authorization bypass weakness in its handling of cross-cluster search requests made through the Remote Cluster Security (RCS) 2.0 model. An authorization check validates a request against one identifying attribute of the target shard, while a separate, independently-supplied identifying attribute in the same request determines which shard is actually accessed. A holder of a cross-cluster API key authorized for one index can craft a request whose two identifying attributes refer to different indices, causing the request to be authorized against an index they can access while actually operating against a different, unauthorized index. This can expose that index's document contents, field mappings, and other metadata, and in limited cases allows modification of retention-lease state on the unauthorized index.
This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.1, 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), limited integrity, for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from elastic organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2026, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2026-10-06T20:17:14.247
2026-10-09T13:13:05.053
Analyzed
CVSSv3.1: 7.1 (HIGH)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | elastic | elasticsearch | < 8.19.23 | Yes |
| Application | elastic | elasticsearch | < 9.4.8 | Yes |
| Application | elastic | elasticsearch | < 9.5.5 | Yes |
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.