# CVE-2025-37731: Elasticsearch Improper Authentication > Attackers with a crafted certificate signed by a trusted CA can impersonate users in Elasticsearch PKI realm. - **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 15 Dec 2025 - **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026 - **Also known as:** BIT-elasticsearch-2025-37731, CLEANSTART-2026-GO07314, ECHO-8f00-c6a2-b9cc, GHSA-m9gh-789g-q5pv, MINI-2frc-j8p6-w4cj, MINI-5xwq-6phg-4xvq, MINI-7rwc-42hp-fq7c, MINI-8j3h-9224-3j8p, MINI-95jj-2w4g-hcj6, MINI-f99w-3q46-gvhh, MINI-fj3p-5vcf-f9rm, MINI-g74g-5q79-435w, MINI-gg36-rm2m-9cjr, MINI-jwgp-x2j5-f5hg, MINI-mx7f-rxc9-h8v6, MINI-q4g3-pcf7-85gm, MINI-q4hf-3jcx-mg29, MINI-qcmv-rxh4-9462, MINI-r5pm-273q-mhqq, MINI-x8rq-m6x8-7g2w, MINI-xvmw-j63r-v6cp, ROOT-APP-MAVEN-CVE-2025-37731, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-37731 ## What is CVE-2025-37731? CVE-2025-37731 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 15 Dec 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Improper Authentication in Elasticsearch PKI realm can lead to user impersonation via specially crafted client certificates. A malicious actor would need to have such a crafted client certificate signed by a legitimate, trusted Certificate Authority. Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-37731? 13 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core, elasticsearch and org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security. It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 7.0.0-alpha1 | 8.19.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 7.0.0-alpha1 | 8.19.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 9.0.0-beta1 | 9.1.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 9.0.0-beta1 | 9.1.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 9.2.0 | 9.2.2 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core` | Maven | From 9.2.0 | 9.2.2 | | `elasticsearch` | Bitnami | All versions | 8.19.8, 9.1.8, 9.2.2 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 7.0.0-alpha1 | 8.19.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 7.0.0-alpha1 | 8.19.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 9.0.0-beta1 | 9.1.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 9.0.0-beta1 | 9.1.8 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 9.2.0 | 9.2.2 | | `org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security` | Maven | From 9.2.0 | 9.2.2 | Products: Elastic Elasticsearch. ## How do I fix CVE-2025-37731? Upgrade org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core to a fixed version for your release line: 8.19.8, 9.1.8 or 9.2.2. ## Is CVE-2025-37731 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37731 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-2025-37731 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2025-37731 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch, published on 15 Dec 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-37731 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected packages and fixed versions: - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 7.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.19.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 7.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.19.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 9.0.0-beta1; fixed in 9.1.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 9.0.0-beta1; fixed in 9.1.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 9.2.0; fixed in 9.2.2 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-core (Maven): affected from 9.2.0; fixed in 9.2.2 - elasticsearch (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 8.19.8, 9.1.8, 9.2.2 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security (Maven): affected from 7.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.19.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security (Maven): affected from 7.0.0-alpha1; fixed in 8.19.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security (Maven): affected from 9.0.0-beta1; fixed in 9.1.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security (Maven): affected from 9.0.0-beta1; fixed in 9.1.8 - org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security (Maven): affected from 9.2.0; fixed in 9.2.2 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-2025-37731/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37731/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-37731 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37731 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-37731 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-37731/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.