Elasticsearch DOS via Crafted Index Document
CVE-2026-72685 Published on August 13, 2026
Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity in Elasticsearch Leading to Denial of Service
A flaw in Elasticsearch allows a low-privileged authenticated user who can index documents to submit a single small document containing a crafted user-supplied input. Processing one such document occupies a worker thread from a bounded pool for a disproportionate amount of time, degrading the availability of indexing operations on the affected node.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-72685 can be exploited with network access, and requires small amount of user privileges. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a small impact on availability.
Weakness Type
Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity
An algorithm in a product has an inefficient worst-case computational complexity that may be detrimental to system performance and can be triggered by an attacker, typically using crafted manipulations that ensure that the worst case is being reached.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-72685
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Affected Versions
Elasticsearch:- Version 8.0.0, <= 8.19.19 is affected.
- Version 9.0.0, <= 9.4.4 is affected.