CVE-2026-72647: Uncontrolled Recursion in Elasticsearch Leading to Denial of Service

Published Aug 13, 2026
·
Updated

Uncontrolled Recursion (CWE-674) in Elasticsearch can lead to denial of service via Serialized Data with Nested Payloads (CAPEC-230). An authenticated user holding only read privileges on a single index can submit one specially crafted search request whose deeply nested structure is processed without a depth limit, exhausting the thread stack and terminating the affected node.

Affected Software

3 affected components
Elasticsearch Elasticsearch
Elastic Elasticsearch>=8.0.0<8.19.20
Elastic Elasticsearch>=9.0.0<9.4.5

Event History

Aug 13, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·07:13 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·07:13 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·08:17 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-72647?

The severity of CVE-2026-72647 is rated as medium with a score of 6.5.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-72647?

To fix CVE-2026-72647, upgrade to the latest version of Elasticsearch that addresses this vulnerability.

3

What type of attack does CVE-2026-72647 enable?

CVE-2026-72647 allows an authenticated user to cause a denial of service via a specially crafted search request.

4

Who is affected by CVE-2026-72647?

CVE-2026-72647 affects authenticated users with read privileges on a single Elasticsearch index.

5

What underlying issue is present in CVE-2026-72647?

CVE-2026-72647 involves uncontrolled recursion leading to denial of service through nested payloads.

Contact

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