CVE-2014-3120 KEVPublic exploit High · 8.1 EPSS 88.6%

Elasticsearch Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Elastic · Elasticsearch

Summary

Elasticsearch versions before 1.2 contain a flaw in the default configuration, which enables dynamic scripting and lets remote attackers execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code through the source parameter of the _search endpoint. Exploitation requires network access and low privileges, with no user interaction, and the issue is a policy violation only where the user has not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.

Official description · NVD

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 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.

Breakdown

68.6 / 100

Exploited: Yes, in CISA KEV
Reports: 0
Tactics: 2/15

How an attack unfolds

Based on mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.

How attackers get in
- Break in through an internet-facing appT1190 · Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationAI-written (claude-haiku-5-5)Medium confidence149 general detection rules
What they do
- Run commands on the systemT1059 · Command and Scripting InterpreterAI-written (claude-haiku-5-5)Medium confidence95 general detection rules

First seen exploited 8 years after disclosure. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 8 months before disclosure.

Public exploit codeMetasploit9 Dec 20138 mo before
Disclosed28 Jul 2014day 0
First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidenceAdded to CISA KEVEU database agrees25 Mar 2022+8 yrs

CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.

techniques

2 , grouped by in kill-chain order, 2 cited passages 2

Initial AccessTA0001

Exploit Public-Facing Application T1190 Medium

AI mapping from the description · how it is exploited

remote exploitation of public-facing Elasticsearch search endpoint

allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions

From the official description (NVD) Original ↗

ExecutionTA0002

Command and Scripting Interpreter T1059 Medium

AI mapping from the description · primary impact

arbitrary script and Java code execution

allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code

From the official description (NVD) Original ↗

Detection

0 rules for this CVE · 244 general rules for its techniques

Rules for this CVE

0 that reference CVE-2014-3120 directly.

CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗

General rules for this CVE’s techniques

These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.

Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190149 general rules

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CVE-2020-10148 SolarWinds Orion API Auth Bypasscriticaltest
CVE-2020-5902 F5 BIG-IP Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest

All 149 on SigmaHQ ↗

Command and Scripting InterpreterT105995 general rules

HackTool - Sliver C2 Implant Activity Patterncriticaltest
Lazarus Group Activitycriticaltest
REvil Kaseya Incident Malware Patternscriticaltest
Turla Group Lateral Movementcriticaltest
Windows Defender AMSI Trigger Detectedhighstable
Windows Defender Threat Detectedhighstable
Abusable DLL Potential Sideloading From Suspicious Locationhightest
Add Insecure Download Source To Wingethightest

All 95 on SigmaHQ ↗

Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.

Am I affected? What do I upgrade to?

From GitHub Security Advisories and OSV

1 package in 1 ecosystem. Main package: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.

Mavenorg.elasticsearch:elasticsearchGHSA-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v

Upgrade to 1.6.1 or later

Fixes this CVE and 2 other known vulnerabilities in this package (CVE-2015-1427, CVE-2015-5531).

Set the version to 1.6.1 or later in your pom.xml or build.gradle.

First fixed in 1.4.0.Beta1 for CVE-2014-3120.

Affected versions

If you run	Upgrade to
All versions before 1.4.0.Beta1	1.6.1first fix for this CVE: 1.4.0.Beta1

“Up to” means the second version is the fix and is not affected.

Check your lockfile against all CVEs

What security researchers reported

Not named in any threat report yet

Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)

Weaker evidence

Pulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.

Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 202621 Oct 2026
44 more on OTX

References

9 links, grouped by NVD tag (8 duplicates merged)

Exploitation evidence

Exploited in the wild

Listed since 25 Mar 2022. Federal due date 15 Apr 2022. No recorded ransomware use.

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

ENISA

Marked exploited since 25 Mar 2022. EUVD-2022-5879

ElasticSearch - Remote Code ExecutionEDB-33370 · webapps · multiple · 2014-05-15 · verified
ElasticSearch Dynamic Script - Arbitrary Java Execution (Metasploit)EDB-33588 · remote · java · 2014-05-30 · verified

, 30 Oct 2026

88.6%Top 0.23%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. of scored CVEs (riskier than 99.77%).

3.1

8.1High · 8.1

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Priority factorsFormula

In a KEV cataloglisted in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV 35.0/35

Recent KEV listingadded 1681 days ago 0.0/10

Known ransomware usenot known 0.0/10

EPSS percentilepercentile 0.9977 19.9/20

Threat reports0 reports 0.0/10

Public exploit code5 NVD references tagged Exploit; 2 Exploit-DB entries; 3 PoC-in-GitHub repos; 1 Metasploit module; 1 nuclei template 5.0/5

Mentioned in OTX pulses50 pulses 3.0/3

CVSS base scorebase score 8.1 5.7/7

End-of-life productsupported or unknown 0.0

Total68.6

Record

Published: 28 Jul 2014
Modified: 17 Jun 2026
: CWE-284 Improper Access Control
Elsewhere: NVD CVE.org KEV JSON

How an attack unfolds

1How attackers get in

2What they do

Exploitation timelineExploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.

ATT&CKMITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques

Initial AccessTA0001

ExecutionTA0002

Detection

Rules for this CVE

General rules for this CVE’s techniques

Am I affected? What do I upgrade to?

Affected versions

What security researchers reported

Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)

References

Vendor Advisory 2

US Government Resource 1

Third Party Advisory 1

Exploit 4

Broken Link 1

How attackers get in

What they do

techniques