# CVE-2020-7019: Improper privilege management in elasticsearch

> Attackers can leak restricted fields via scrolling searches in Elasticsearch with Field Level Security, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-elasticsearch-2020-7019, GHSA-c77j-p484-h84m, UBUNTU-CVE-2020-7019

## What is CVE-2020-7019?

CVE-2020-7019 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 18 Aug 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Elasticsearch before 7.9.0 and 6.8.12 a field disclosure flaw was found when running a scrolling search with Field Level Security. If a user runs the same query another more privileged user recently ran, the scrolling search can leak fields that should be hidden. This could result in an attacker gaining additional permissions against a restricted index.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management), CWE-270 (Privilege Context Switching Error)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-7019?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch and elasticsearch. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | All versions | 6.8.12 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | All versions | 6.8.12 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | From 7.0.0 | 7.9.0 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | From 7.0.0 | 7.9.0 |
| `elasticsearch` | Bitnami | All versions | 6.8.12, 7.9.0 |

Products: Elastic Elasticsearch.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-7019?

Upgrade org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch to a fixed version for your release line: 6.8.12 or 7.9.0.

## Is CVE-2020-7019 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-7019 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2015-5377](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5377/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [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)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-7019 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-7019 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 18 Aug 2020. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-7019 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 6.8.12
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 6.8.12
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected from 7.0.0; fixed in 7.9.0
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected from 7.0.0; fixed in 7.9.0
- elasticsearch (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 6.8.12, 7.9.0

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-2020-7019/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7019/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-7019
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-7019
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-7019

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7019/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.