CVE-2026-72683: Uncontrolled Recursion in Elasticsearch Leading to Denial of Service
A flaw in Elasticsearch allows an authenticated user with the privileges required to invoke the simulate pipeline API endpoint (https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/elasticsearch/operation/operation-ingest-simulate) to submit a request that causes a self-referential data structure to be created. When a specific internal component later processes that structure, the operation recurses without bound and raises a fatal error that is not handled by the surrounding execution path, terminating the affected node process and resulting in a denial of service.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-72683?
CVE-2026-72683 has a medium severity rating of 6.5.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-72683?
CVE-2026-72683 is an uncontrolled recursion vulnerability in Elasticsearch that can lead to a denial of service.
How does CVE-2026-72683 exploit the Elasticsearch system?
CVE-2026-72683 allows an authenticated user to create a self-referential data structure via the simulate pipeline API, leading to resource exhaustion.
Who is affected by CVE-2026-72683?
Users with the privileges to invoke the simulate pipeline API endpoint in Elasticsearch are affected by CVE-2026-72683.
How do I fix CVE-2026-72683?
To mitigate CVE-2026-72683, update to the latest version of Elastic Elasticsearch where this vulnerability has been addressed.