CVE-2015-5531: Elasticsearch Improper Limitation Of A Pathname Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jjq8-vfjq-j6v4
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CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2015-5531 is a MODERATE improper limitation of a pathname vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory in elasticsearch. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.6.1.

CVE-2015-5531 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2015-5531
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jjq8-vfjq-j6v4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2015-5531

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: 1.6.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>1.6.1</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-2015-5531, 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 1.6.1), 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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. 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

Directory traversal vulnerability in Elasticsearch before 1.6.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors related to snapshot API calls.

CVE-2015-5531 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.6.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
< 1.6.1
1.6.1

References

NVD — CVE-2015-5531 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5531
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://www.elastic.co/community/security
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38383 WEB
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38383
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/132721/Elasticsearch-Directory-Traversal.html
Elasticsearch Release RELEASE
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133797/ElasticSearch-Path-Traversal-Arbitrary-File-Download.html
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133964/ElasticSearch-Snapshot-API-Directory-Traversal.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-5531?
CVE-2015-5531 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory in Elasticsearch under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.6.1 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2015-5531?
Upgrading to 1.6.1 (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 1.6.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.6.1 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2015-5531?
CVE-2015-5531 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2015-5531?
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-jjq8-vfjq-j6v4",
  "modified" : "2022-07-06T20:11:51Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T02:48:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2015-5531" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory in Elasticsearch",
  "details" : "Directory traversal vulnerability in Elasticsearch before 1.6.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors related to snapshot API calls.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.6.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.6.0"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5531"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.elastic.co/community/security"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38383"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/132721/Elasticsearch-Directory-Traversal.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133797/ElasticSearch-Path-Traversal-Arbitrary-File-Download.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133964/ElasticSearch-Snapshot-API-Directory-Traversal.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-06T20:11:51Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2015-08-17T15:59:00Z"
  }
}