CVE-2014-3120
Elasticsearch Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 15 April 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
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.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- EPSS
- 88.56% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- 2 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 15 May 2014
- CISA KEV
- Listed 25 March 2022 · due 15 April 2022
- Weakness
- CWE-284
- Affected
- elastic/elasticsearch
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 88.6% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3120
Public exploits (2)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/Exploit
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370Exploit
- http://www.osvdb.org/106949Broken Link
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rceExploit, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731Exploit
- https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-releasedVendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/community/security/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearchExploit
- http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/Exploit
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370Exploit
- http://www.osvdb.org/106949Broken Link
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rceExploit, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731Exploit
- https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-releasedVendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/community/security/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearchExploit
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-3120US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.