Elasticsearch: Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
CVE-2026-72642 is a high-severity use of out-of-range pointer offset vulnerability in Elasticsearch from Elastic, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Elasticsearch versions: 8.19.0 through 8.19.19; 9.4.0 through 9.4.4; 9.5.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.6% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Elasticsearch you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on discuss.elastic.co for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elastic | Elasticsearch | 8.19.0 through 8.19.19; 9.4.0 through 9.4.4; 9.5.0 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (elastic.co).
Official description
The native inference process that Elasticsearch uses to evaluate uploaded machine learning models accepts a model operation that computes a memory address from an offset supplied inside the model, without validating that the offset stays within the bounds of the underlying storage. A user with the privileges required to upload and deploy a trained model can craft a model that reads and writes memory outside the intended allocation. The result is heap corruption that crashes the inference process, and, with sufficient control over the heap layout, could allow arbitrary code execution in the context of that process.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
The product performs pointer arithmetic on a valid pointer, but it uses an offset that can point outside of the intended range of valid memory locations for the resulting pointer.
More Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset vulnerabilities (CWE-823)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Other vulnerabilities in Elasticsearch
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
Recent Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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