GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc: Opensearch security OpenSearch Has A Bypass Of Vulnerability

LOW
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CVSS 3.7
CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc is a LOW (CVSS 3.7) opensearch has a bypass of vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Opensearch security libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves opensearch has a bypass of rest layer authorization using malformed paths. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.19.0.0.

GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc
Severity LOW
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.7
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product Opensearch security
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.7

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Opensearch security 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.opensearch.plugin:opensearch-security fixed: 2.19.0.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.opensearch.plugin</groupId>
    <artifactId>opensearch-security</artifactId>
    <version>2.19.0.0</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.opensearch.plugin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensearch.plugin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Opensearch security in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.19.0.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensearch.plugin 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 Opensearch security, 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

### Description A flaw was identified in the OpenSearch REST layer that could allow authorization checks to be bypassed when processing certain malformed HTTP requests. This could permit unauthorized access to restricted API endpoints in environments that rely on REST-layer authorization. Transport-level authorization is not affected by this issue. ### Impact The default OpenSearch distribution is not affected by this issue. REST actions in the default distribution have corresponding transport actions that independently enforce authorization. Custom plugins that register REST actions without a corresponding transport action may be affected, potentially allowing unauthorized read access to those endpoints. ### Patches This issue is fixed in OpenSearch 2.19.0. Users should upgrade to 2.19.0 or later.

GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc Affected Opensearch security Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.19.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.opensearch.plugin:opensearch-security
maven/org.opensearch.plugin/opensearch-security
Maven
≥ 2.11.0.0
< 2.19.0.0
2.19.0.0

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/opensearch-project/security/security/advisories/GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc
Opensearch security Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/opensearch-project/security

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc?
GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc is a security vulnerability in Opensearch security involving OpenSearch has a bypass of REST Layer Authorization Using Malformed Paths under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Opensearch security versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.19.0.0 across affected packages: org.opensearch.plugin:opensearch-security.
What version fixes GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc?
Upgrading to 2.19.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is opensearch-security affected?
Yes, org.opensearch.plugin:opensearch-security is affected in releases prior to 2.19.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.19.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc?
GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.7 (LOW) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc?
GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc 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 GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensearch.plugin'. 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-83x9-vc3c-hghc",
  "modified" : "2026-05-07T00:07:42Z",
  "published" : "2026-05-07T00:07:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "OpenSearch has a bypass of REST Layer Authorization Using Malformed Paths",
  "details" : "### Description\n\nA flaw was identified in the OpenSearch REST layer that could allow authorization checks to be bypassed when processing certain malformed HTTP requests. This could permit unauthorized access to restricted API endpoints in environments that rely on REST-layer authorization.\n\nTransport-level authorization is not affected by this issue.\n\n### Impact\n\nThe default OpenSearch distribution is not affected by this issue. REST actions in the default distribution have corresponding transport actions that independently enforce authorization. Custom plugins that register REST actions without a corresponding transport action may be affected, potentially allowing unauthorized read access to those endpoints.\n\n### Patches\n\nThis issue is fixed in OpenSearch 2.19.0. Users should upgrade to 2.19.0 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.opensearch.plugin:opensearch-security"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.11.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.19.0.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/opensearch-project/security/security/advisories/GHSA-83x9-vc3c-hghc"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/opensearch-project/security"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "LOW",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-05-07T00:07:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}