# CVE-2015-5377: Code injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code on Elasticsearch servers via the transport protocol, requiring immediate upgrades.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Mar 2018
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vwpr-g44g-2pf3

## What is CVE-2015-5377?

CVE-2015-5377 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 6 Mar 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Elasticsearch before 1.6.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors involving the transport protocol.  NOTE: ZDI appears to claim that CVE-2015-3253 and CVE-2015-5377 are the same vulnerability

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-5377?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Elastic Elasticsearch.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-5377?

No fix has been published for CVE-2015-5377 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2015-5377 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-5377 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Java deserialization exploit for elasticsearch 1.5.2 CVE-2015-5377 (github_poc): https://github.com/fi3ro/CVE-2015-5377

## Other vulnerabilities in Elastic Elasticsearch

- [CVE-2015-1427](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1427/): Elasticsearch Groovy Scripting Engine Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-3120](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3120/): Elasticsearch Remote Code Execution (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-72649](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72649/): Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Elasticsearch Leading to Remote Code Execution (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-72642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72642/): Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset in the Elasticsearch Machine Learning Native Inference Process (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-7014](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7014/): Privilege Escalation Flaw in Elasticsearch (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-5377 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-5377 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 6 Mar 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-5377 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Elastic Elasticsearch. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5377/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5377/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-5377
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5377
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-5377

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5377/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.