Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2015-4165

Improper Access Control in Elasticsearch

7.5 HighFix available

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

4.45%Down 1.0 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.5

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
CVE-2015-4165
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
6.0 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-264
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
CVE-2015-4165
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-3784 No score

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
EUVD-2022-3784
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-fh5x-4j57-6q5x 7.5

Improper Access Control in Elasticsearch

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
GHSA-fh5x-4j57-6q5x
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-284
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-fh5x-4j57-6q5x 7.5

Improper Access Control in Elasticsearch

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
GHSA-fh5x-4j57-6q5x
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-284
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2015-4165 7.5

The snapshot API in Elasticsearch before 1.6.0 when another application exists on the system that can read Lucene files and execute code from them, is accessible by the attacker, and the Java VM on which Elasticsearch is running can write to a location that the other application can read and execute from, allows remote authenticated users to write to and create arbitrary snapshot metadata files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2015-4165
CVSS 3.0
7.5 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
Maven
before 1.6.0
1.6.0
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
Maven
before 1.6.0, plus listed versions
0.10.00.11.00.12.00.12.10.13.0
Show 45 moreShow less
0.13.10.14.00.14.10.14.20.14.30.14.40.15.00.15.10.15.20.16.00.16.10.16.20.16.30.16.40.16.50.17.00.17.10.17.100.17.20.17.30.17.40.17.50.17.60.17.70.17.80.17.90.18.00.18.10.18.20.18.30.18.40.18.50.18.60.18.70.19.00.19.0.RC10.19.0.RC20.19.0.RC30.19.10.19.100.19.110.19.120.19.20.19.30.19.4
1.6.0

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2015-4165 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Elasticsearch, published August 9, 2017. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 4.45%, the 91st percentile. Fixed in org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch 1.6.0.

References

Show 4 moreShow less
This page doesn't list everything

Left out here: 71 versions. The JSON record has them.

MoveEnter Open