# CVE-2026-115298: Elasticsearch incorrect authorization in field-level security

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115298-incorrect-authorization-cwe-863-in-elasticsearch-can-lead-to  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-03. Updated: 2026-11-03  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-115298 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4.3 · Published 2026-11-03

Elasticsearch, a search and analytics engine used to index and query large volumes of data, has an access control flaw that allows authenticated users to view sensitive fields they should not have access to. An attacker with restricted credentials can bypass field-level security restrictions and retrieve values from constant_keyword fields that their role explicitly excludes, potentially exposing confidential data.

Technologies: [Elasticsearch](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/elasticsearch). Vendors: [Elastic](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/elastic).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-115298 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-115298 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-115298?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4.3, published 3 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Elasticsearch 8.0.0 through 8.19.23, 9.0.0 through 9.4.8, 9.5.0 through 9.5.5.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-115298?** Yes: fixed in Elasticsearch 8.19.24, 9.4.9, 9.5.6. Until then: For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, do not rely on field-level security alone to hide constant_keyword values; instead, store sensitive constant_keyword data in indices that restricted users cannot access, or keep it out of indices subject to field-level security restrictions. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-115298 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-115298?** Check whether you run Elasticsearch at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in Elasticsearch 8.19.24, 9.4.9, 9.5.6

For deployments that cannot upgrade immediately, do not rely on field-level security alone to hide constant_keyword values; instead, store sensitive constant_keyword data in indices that restricted users cannot access, or keep it out of indices subject to field-level security restrictions.

## Technical details

An incorrect authorization flaw (CWE-863) in Elasticsearch allows authenticated users to access constant_keyword fields despite field-level security (FLS) rules that should restrict them. Some search and query features do not properly enforce FLS restrictions on this field type, allowing an attacker with limited index access to retrieve excluded field values via standard queries. The vulnerability requires authentication and valid index access but only partial role restrictions.

## Affected products

- Elastic Elasticsearch 8.0.0 through 8.19.23, 9.0.0 through 9.4.8, 9.5.0 through 9.5.5

## Timeline

- 2026-11-03: disclosed

## References

- [https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-19-24-9-4-9-9-5-6-security-update-esa-2026-209/391362](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-19-24-9-4-9-9-5-6-security-update-esa-2026-209/391362)

## Related threats

- [Elasticsearch denial of service in phonetic analysis encoders](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115715-allocation-of-resources-without-limits-or-throttling-cwe-770-in)
- [Elasticsearch cache information disclosure via field-level security bypass](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115710-use-of-cache-containing-sensitive-information-cwe-524-in)
- [Elasticsearch uncontrolled recursion denial of service](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-115290-uncontrolled-recursion-cwe-674-in-elasticsearch-can-lead-to)
- [Elasticsearch authorization bypass in cross-cluster search](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-103009-authorization-bypass-through-user-controlled-key-cwe-639-in)
- [Elasticsearch uncontrolled recursion denial of service in scripted runtime fields](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-103008-uncontrolled-recursion-cwe-674-in-elasticsearch-can-lead-to)