CVE-2015-3337 in Elasticsearch
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in Elasticsearch before 1.4.5 and 1.5.x before 1.5.2, when a site plugin is enabled, allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3337 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Elasticsearch search and analytics engine that affected versions prior to 1.4.5 and 1.5.x before 1.5.2. This weakness specifically manifests when site plugins are enabled, creating an attack surface that remote adversaries can exploit to access arbitrary files on the affected system. The vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The flaw enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve sensitive files that should otherwise be protected from unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within Elasticsearch's plugin handling mechanisms. When site plugins are active, the system fails to properly validate file paths that are processed during plugin operations, allowing malicious users to manipulate request parameters to traverse directory structures and access files outside of the intended plugin directories. Attackers can leverage this weakness to read configuration files, log files, and potentially sensitive data stored on the server. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description indicate that the attack can be executed through multiple entry points within the plugin system, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various attack paths.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3337 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other vulnerabilities or when attackers gain access to sensitive configuration files containing credentials, encryption keys, or other critical system information. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers directory and file permissions enumeration, and T1566, which covers phishing with malicious attachments. The potential for privilege escalation increases significantly when attackers can access system configuration files or plugin-specific data that may contain database connection strings, API keys, or other sensitive information. Organizations running affected Elasticsearch versions face substantial risk of data breaches, especially in environments where Elasticsearch serves as a core component of data storage and retrieval systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3337 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Elasticsearch installations to versions 1.4.5 or 1.5.2 and later, which contain the necessary fixes to prevent directory traversal attacks. Security administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to Elasticsearch services, disable unnecessary plugins, and employ strict input validation mechanisms. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by running Elasticsearch with minimal required permissions and restricting file system access for plugin components. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Elasticsearch deployments, review plugin configurations, and implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious file access patterns. Regular security updates and vulnerability management processes should be established to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in distributed systems.