CVE-2024-52980: Elasticsearch grok Elasticsearch-grok Potential Node Crash Due Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-ghfh-p92w-j4mg
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-52980 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) elasticsearch-grok potential node crash due vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Elasticsearch grok libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves elasticsearch-grok potential node crash due to large recursion in `innerforbidcircularreferences` function. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.15.1.

CVE-2024-52980 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-52980
GHSA Identifier GHSA-ghfh-p92w-j4mg
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Elasticsearch grok
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2024-52980

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Elasticsearch grok 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-grok fixed: 8.15.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch-grok</artifactId>
    <version>8.15.1</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-2024-52980, 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 grok in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 8.15.1), 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Elasticsearch grok, 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

A flaw was discovered in Elasticsearch, where a large recursion using the innerForbidCircularReferences function of the PatternBank class could cause the Elasticsearch node to crash. A successful attack requires a malicious user to have read_pipeline Elasticsearch cluster privilege assigned to them.

CVE-2024-52980 Affected Elasticsearch grok Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
8.15.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-grok
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch-grok
Maven
≥ 7.17.0
< 8.15.1
8.15.1

References

NVD — CVE-2024-52980 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-52980
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/4e5c6801f4d60f100f122072f6bf35b21fd722a5
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/a02dc7165c75f12701f8d47a2bdefe5283735267
Elasticsearch grok Security Information SECURITY
https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-15-1-security-update-esa-2024-34/376919
Elasticsearch grok Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-52980?
CVE-2024-52980 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch grok involving Elasticsearch-grok Potential Node Crash due to Large Recursion in `innerForbidCircularReferences` Function under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Elasticsearch grok versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 8.15.1 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-grok.
What version fixes CVE-2024-52980?
Upgrading to 8.15.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is elasticsearch-grok affected?
Yes, org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-grok is affected in releases prior to 8.15.1. Upgrade your dependency to 8.15.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-52980?
CVE-2024-52980 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-52980?
CVE-2024-52980 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-52980?
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-ghfh-p92w-j4mg",
  "modified" : "2026-09-25T17:29:46Z",
  "published" : "2025-04-08T18:34:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-52980" ],
  "summary" : "Elasticsearch-grok Potential Node Crash due to Large Recursion in `innerForbidCircularReferences` Function",
  "details" : "A flaw was discovered in Elasticsearch, where a large recursion using the innerForbidCircularReferences function of the PatternBank class could cause the Elasticsearch node to crash.\n\nA successful attack requires a malicious user to have read_pipeline Elasticsearch cluster privilege assigned to them.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-grok"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.17.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.15.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-52980"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/4e5c6801f4d60f100f122072f6bf35b21fd722a5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/a02dc7165c75f12701f8d47a2bdefe5283735267"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-15-1-security-update-esa-2024-34/376919"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-04-09T13:02:50Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-04-08T17:15:34Z"
  }
}