CVE-2014-3120The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL…
- 8.1HighCVSS base score
- 88.6%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.2% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 25 Mar 2022
- 4Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as Elasticsearch Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
- Added
- 25 Mar 2022
- Fix due (US federal)
- 15 Apr 2022
- Used by ransomware
- Not known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 25 Mar 2022.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module, a Nuclei template and 2 Exploit-DB entries for it. A reference of the record is tagged as an exploit. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits5
Metasploit modules1 module
- ElasticSearch Dynamic Script Arbitrary Java Execution (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rceRank excellentdisclosed 9 Dec 2013
Nuclei templates1 template
- ElasticSearch v1.1.1/1.2 RCE (Nuclei template) (opens in a new tab)
http/cves/2014/CVE-2014-3120.yamlSeverity medium
Exploit-DB2 entries
- ElasticSearch Dynamic Script - Arbitrary Java Execution (Metasploit) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 33588remote, javapublished 30 May 2014Verified
- ElasticSearch - Remote Code Execution (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 33370webapps, multiplepublished 15 May 2014Verified
References tagged exploit1 reference
- 33370 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
- 3 months later
· 3 months later
Published
- 8 years later
· 8 years later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited in the wild
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | High8.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | High8.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 88.6% · top 0.2% of all CVEs (12 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 8.1.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.elasticsearch:elasticsearchGHSA-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v (opens in a new tab)
References
References9
- https://www.elastic.co/blog/logstash-1-4-3-released (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 33370 (opens in a new tab)exploitx_refsource_EXPLOIT-DBx_transferred
- 67731 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- 106949 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBx_transferred
- http://bouk.co/blog/elasticsearch-rce/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://www.rapid7.com/db/modules/exploit/multi/elasticsearch/script_mvel_rce (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.found.no/foundation/elasticsearch-security/#staying-safe-while-developing-with-elasticsearch (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.elastic.co/community/security/ (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2014-3120 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2022-5879 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-mrfm-jxgf-2h6v (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2014-3120)Record last updated .