CVE-2026-115713 in Cloud Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') (CWE-59) in Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE) can lead to unauthorized read and write access to data of other deployments on the same host via Symlink Attack (CAPEC-132).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CWE-59, commonly known as Improper Link Resolution Before File Access or symlink following, represents a critical class of security flaws where an application fails to properly validate symbolic links before performing file system operations. In the specific context of Elastic Cloud Enterprise (ECE), this flaw manifests when the software does not adequately verify that a target path resolves exclusively within expected directories prior to reading from or writing to files. This lack of rigorous validation allows attackers to exploit the underlying operating system's handling of symbolic links, which are special file types that act as pointers to other files or directories. By manipulating these links, an adversary can redirect file operations intended for one location to point toward sensitive data located elsewhere on the host machine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for cross-tenant data compromise within multi-tenant environments like ECE. Since multiple customer deployments often share the same physical or virtual hosts in cloud infrastructure, a successful exploitation allows an attacker with access to one deployment to read and write arbitrary files belonging to other deployments on that same host. This bypasses logical isolation boundaries enforced by the application layer, effectively granting unauthorized access to confidential data such as user credentials, configuration settings, search indices, and proprietary business information stored in Elasticsearch or Kibana instances managed by ECE. The ability to perform both read and write operations exacerbates the risk, enabling not only data exfiltration but also potential persistence mechanisms through file modification or injection of malicious configurations.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CAPEC-132, Symlink Attack, where an attacker leverages symbolic links to trick applications into accessing unintended resources. The attack vector typically involves creating a symlink in a directory controlled by the vulnerable application that points to a sensitive file outside of the allowed scope. When ECE subsequently attempts to access or modify files within its managed directories without checking if those paths are actually symlinks pointing elsewhere, it inadvertently performs operations on the target resource. This behavior violates fundamental principles of secure coding and system isolation, specifically failing to enforce strict path canonicalization and validation checks before executing file I/O requests.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate patching is required as vendors typically release updates that harden file handling routines by implementing robust symlink detection mechanisms. Developers should ensure that all file paths are resolved to their absolute physical locations using system calls such as realpath or equivalent secure alternatives before any access permissions are evaluated. Additionally, employing operating-level security controls like chroot jails, containerization with strict volume mounts, and mandatory access control systems (such as SELinux or AppArmor) can provide defense-in-depth layers that restrict file access even if application-level validation fails. Regular auditing of file system interactions and implementing least-privilege principles for service accounts running ECE components further reduces the attack surface available to potential exploiters seeking to leverage symlink following techniques for lateral movement or data theft within shared infrastructure environments.