GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.8) Improper Authentication vulnerability in org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security. A fix is available for org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Elasticsearch PKI Realm Authentication Bypass Vulnerability Allows User Impersonation Through Crafted Client Certificates
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 379,145 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security☕org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security☕org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security☕org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core☕org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core☕org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-coreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Improper Authentication in Elasticsearch PKI realm can lead to user impersonation via specially crafted client certificates. A malicious actor would need to have such a crafted client certificate signed by a legitimate, trusted Certificate Authority.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security | ≥ 7.0.0-alpha1&&< 8.19.8 | 8.19.8org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security:8.19.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security | ≥ 9.0.0-beta1&&< 9.1.8 | 9.1.8org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security:9.1.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security | ≥ 9.2.0&&< 9.2.2 | 9.2.2org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security:9.2.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core | ≥ 7.0.0-alpha1&&< 8.19.8 | 8.19.8org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:8.19.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core | ≥ 9.0.0-beta1&&< 9.1.8 | 9.1.8org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:9.1.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core | ≥ 9.2.0&&< 9.2.2 | 9.2.2org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core:9.2.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security to 8.19.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.