CVE-2024-12539: Elasticsearch Elasticsearch Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5mpw-4546-2wcr
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CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-12539 is a MODERATE elasticsearch incorrect authorization vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves elasticsearch incorrect authorization vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.16.2.

CVE-2024-12539 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-12539
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5mpw-4546-2wcr
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2024-12539

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Elasticsearch dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch fixed: 8.16.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>8.16.2</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-12539, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Elasticsearch in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 8.16.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. In Elasticsearch, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

An issue was discovered where improper authorization controls affected certain queries that could allow a malicious actor to circumvent Document Level Security in Elasticsearch and get access to documents that their roles would normally not allow.

CVE-2024-12539 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
8.16.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
≥ 8.16.0
< 8.16.2
8.16.2

References

NVD — CVE-2024-12539 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12539
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-16-2-8-17-0-security-update/372091
Elasticsearch Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-12539?
CVE-2024-12539 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Elasticsearch Incorrect Authorization vulnerability under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 8.16.2 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2024-12539?
Upgrading to 8.16.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is elasticsearch affected?
Yes, org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch is affected in releases prior to 8.16.2. Upgrade your dependency to 8.16.2 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-12539?
CVE-2024-12539 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-12539?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5mpw-4546-2wcr",
  "modified" : "2024-12-17T22:30:17Z",
  "published" : "2024-12-17T21:30:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-12539" ],
  "summary" : "Elasticsearch Incorrect Authorization vulnerability",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered where improper authorization controls affected certain queries that could allow a malicious actor to circumvent Document Level Security in Elasticsearch and get access to documents that their roles would normally not allow.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "8.16.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.16.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12539"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-16-2-8-17-0-security-update/372091"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-12-17T22:30:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-12-17T21:15:07Z"
  }
}