# CVE-2024-23444: Elasticsearch elasticsearch-certutil csr fails to encrypt private key

> Elasticsearch certutil fails to encrypt private keys when generating CSRs, exposing sensitive key material to local attackers.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 31 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 4 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** BIT-elasticsearch-2024-23444, GHSA-5v8f-xx9m-wj44, MINI-fpp9-8pwm-24r7, MINI-m5v4-v6gj-rhxc, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-23444

## What is CVE-2024-23444?

CVE-2024-23444 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 31 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

It was discovered by Elastic engineering that when elasticsearch-certutil CLI tool is used with the csr option in order to create a new Certificate Signing Requests, the associated private key that is generated is stored on disk unencrypted even if the --pass parameter is passed in the command invocation.

Weakness: CWE-311 (Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-23444?

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 | 7.17.23 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | All versions | 7.17.23 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | From 8.0.0-alpha1 | 8.13.0 |
| `org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch` | Maven | From 8.0.0-alpha1 | 8.13.0 |
| `elasticsearch` | Bitnami | All versions | 7.17.23, 8.13.0 |

Products: Elastic Elasticsearch.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-23444?

Upgrade org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch to a fixed version for your release line: 7.17.23 or 8.13.0.

## Is CVE-2024-23444 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-23444 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-2024-23444 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-23444 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 31 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-23444 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.23
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.23
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected from 8.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.13.0
- org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch (Maven): affected from 8.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.13.0
- elasticsearch (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 7.17.23, 8.13.0

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-2024-23444/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23444/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-23444
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-23444
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-23444

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23444/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.