CVE-2026-72678
MEDIUMDescription
Elasticsearch does not validate a size value taken from a user-supplied input before that value is used to reserve memory for an internal data structure. An authenticated user holding only read privileges can submit a single small crafted request to a product API endpoint that causes the node to attempt an excessively large allocation. The resulting memory exhaustion raises a fatal error that terminates the Elasticsearch node process, causing a denial of service for the affected node and degrading cluster health. The defect is not volumetric, so a single request is sufficient regardless of the heap size configured on the target node.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 26% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-789 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2022-30522 | High | 7.5 | 90% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2026-49975 | High | 7.5 | 34% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2025-27533 | High | 7.5 | 8.7% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2017-7651 | High | 7.5 | 5.2% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2021-31811 | Medium | 5.5 | 3.4% | - | - |
| CVE-2021-27906 | Medium | 5.5 | 3.3% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2026-72678?
Upgrade Elasticsearch to 8.19.20 or later.
Is CVE-2026-72678 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2026-72678 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 0.33% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 26% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2026-72678?
CVE-2026-72678 has a CVSS v3 base score of 6.5, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2026-72678 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for Elasticsearch (Windows application). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2026-72678
Markdown
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-09-01.