---
title: "CVE-2026-103009: Elasticsearch - Authorization Bypass"
description: "Elasticsearch contains an authorization bypass caused by inconsistent shard identifier validation in cross-cluster search requests using Remote Cluster Security 2.0, letting attackers with cross-cluster API keys access unauthorized index data, exploit requires crafted cross-cluster search requests with mismatched shard identifiers."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-103009/
---

# CVE-2026-103009 Elasticsearch - Authorization Bypass

Elasticsearch contains an authorization bypass caused by inconsistent shard identifier validation in cross-cluster search requests using Remote Cluster Security 2.0, letting attackers with cross-cluster API keys access unauthorized index data, exploit requires crafted cross-cluster search requests with mismatched shard identifiers.

CVSS base score 7.1 /10

High

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

None known

Authentication

Required

EPSS

0.23% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-103009)

## Details

Type

Authorization Bypass

Impact

Information Disclosure, Data Tampering

CVSS vector

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

Published

6 October 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

Weakness

[CWE-639](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/639.html)

## Vendor fix

Update to the latest Elasticsearch version with Remote Cluster Security 2.0 fixes.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

## References

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-103009](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-103009)
- [https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-19-23-9-4-8-9-5-5-security-update-esa-2026-199/390874](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-19-23-9-4-8-9-5-5-security-update-esa-2026-199/390874)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

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