CVE-2017-8438
Elastic X-Pack Security versions 5.0.0 to 5.4.0 contain a privilege escalation bug in the run_as functionality.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (1.03%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Elastic X-Pack Security versions 5.0.0 to 5.4.0 contain a privilege escalation bug in the run_as functionality. This bug prevents transitioning into the specified user specified in a run_as request. If a role has been created using a template that contains the _user properties, the behavior of run_as will be incorrect. Additionally if the run_as user specified does not exist, the transition will not happen.
- CVSS 3.0
- 8.8 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 1.03% probability · 63th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-269
- Affected
- elastic/x-pack
- Source
- security@elastic.co
EPSS 1.0% since 27 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-stack-5-4-1-and-5-3-3-security-updates/87952Vendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/blog/elasticsearch-5-4-1-and-5-3-3-releasedPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/community/securityVendor Advisory
- https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-stack-5-4-1-and-5-3-3-security-updates/87952Vendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/blog/elasticsearch-5-4-1-and-5-3-3-releasedPatch, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.elastic.co/community/securityVendor Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.