CVE-2014-3120: Elasticsearch Elasticsearch Improper Access Control Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-3120 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) elasticsearch improper access control vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves elasticsearch improper access control vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.0.Beta1.

CVE-2014-3120 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-3120
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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:H/I:H/A:N/E: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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2014-3120

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: 1.4.0.Beta1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>1.4.0.Beta1</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-2014-3120, 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 1.4.0.Beta1), 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. 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

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.4.0.Beta1 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.

CVE-2014-3120 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.4.0.Beta1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
< 1.4.0.Beta1
1.4.0.Beta1

References

NVD — CVE-2014-3120 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3120
Elasticsearch Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/7151
Elasticsearch Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/7642
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/bd0eb32d9c3c3f5b6e5f8630c859cd04bdcd4e06
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/f9de8b65898509e038e33215db0720b508477a12
Elasticsearch Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://web.archive.org/web/20140813071419/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-3120
www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3... WEB
https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://www.elastic.co/community/security
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearch
bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-... WEB
http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce
www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370 WEB
http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370
www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/... WEB
http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-3120?
CVE-2014-3120 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Elasticsearch Improper Access Control vulnerability under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.0.Beta1 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2014-3120?
Upgrading to 1.4.0.Beta1 (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 1.4.0.Beta1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.0.Beta1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2014-3120?
CVE-2014-3120 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N/E:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-3120?
CVE-2014-3120 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2014-3120?
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-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v",
  "modified" : "2025-10-22T19:34:14Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T03:28:58Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-3120" ],
  "summary" : "Elasticsearch Improper Access Control vulnerability",
  "details" : "The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.4.0.Beta1 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search.  NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N/E:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.0.Beta1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3120"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/7151"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/7642"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/bd0eb32d9c3c3f5b6e5f8630c859cd04bdcd4e06"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/f9de8b65898509e038e33215db0720b508477a12"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20140813071419/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67731"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-3120"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.elastic.co/community/security"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearch"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/33370"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-01-06T22:28:40Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2014-07-28T19:55:00Z"
  }
}