CVE-2024-23449: Elasticsearch Elasticsearch Uncaught Exception Leading To Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pw39-f3m5-cxfc
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-248
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-23449 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) elasticsearch uncaught exception leading to vulnerability (CWE-248: Uncaught Exception) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves elasticsearch uncaught exception leading to crash. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.11.1.

CVE-2024-23449 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-23449
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pw39-f3m5-cxfc
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-248: Uncaught Exception
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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:L).

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 Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2024-23449

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: 8.11.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>8.11.1</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-2024-23449, 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 8.11.1), 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-248: Uncaught Exception, where an exception is thrown from a function, but it is not caught. 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 uncaught exception in Elasticsearch >= 8.4.0 and < 8.11.1 occurs when an encrypted PDF is passed to an attachment processor through the REST API. The Elasticsearch ingest node that attempts to parse the PDF file will crash. This does not happen with password-protected PDF files or with unencrypted PDF files.

CVE-2024-23449 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
8.11.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
≥ 8.4.0
< 8.11.1
8.11.1

References

NVD — CVE-2024-23449 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-23449
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/a59180459a3cb30b71399d778943cab4ac2191c4
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/f9bf18a716613473fc1cb96c838874e1f9f6ba22
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-11-1-security-update-esa-2024-05/356458
Elasticsearch Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-23449?
CVE-2024-23449 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Elasticsearch Uncaught Exception leading to crash under CWE-248: Uncaught Exception.
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 8.11.1 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2024-23449?
Upgrading to 8.11.1 (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 8.11.1. Upgrade your dependency to 8.11.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-23449?
CVE-2024-23449 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-23449?
CVE-2024-23449 is classified under CWE-248: Uncaught Exception (An exception is thrown from a function, but it is not caught.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-23449?
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-pw39-f3m5-cxfc",
  "modified" : "2025-05-27T17:50:43Z",
  "published" : "2024-03-29T12:30:42Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-23449" ],
  "summary" : "Elasticsearch Uncaught Exception leading to crash",
  "details" : "An uncaught exception in Elasticsearch >= 8.4.0 and < 8.11.1 occurs when an encrypted PDF is passed to an attachment processor through the REST API. The Elasticsearch ingest node that attempts to parse the PDF file will crash. This does not happen with password-protected PDF files or with unencrypted PDF files.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "8.4.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.11.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-23449"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/a59180459a3cb30b71399d778943cab4ac2191c4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/commit/f9bf18a716613473fc1cb96c838874e1f9f6ba22"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-11-1-security-update-esa-2024-05/356458"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-248" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-03-29T15:58:06Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-03-29T12:15:08Z"
  }
}