# CVE-2026-72643: Incorrect Authorization in Kibana Agent Builder Leading to Disclosure and Tampering of Private Agents

> Attackers can view or modify private agents belonging to other users due to flawed username-based ownership checks in Kibana Agent Builder.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/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:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BIT-elk-2026-72643, BIT-kibana-2026-72643, GHSA-m5pm-2p35-xvpr, MINI-4m32-f72j-7cf2, MINI-xg36-9g9f-r52q

## What is CVE-2026-72643?

CVE-2026-72643 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 13 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Kibana Agent Builder determines whether a caller owns a private agent by comparing a stable user identifier when one is recorded, and falling back to a comparison of the username when it is not. A username is not unique across Elasticsearch authentication realms, so two distinct principals that share a username in different realms are treated as the same owner. This discloses the configuration and instructions of an agent the caller does not own, and allows that agent to be altered or removed.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72643?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including kibana and elk. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kibana` | Bitnami | From 9.4.0 | 9.4.5, 9.5.1 |
| `elk` | Bitnami | From 9.4.0 | 9.4.5, 9.5.1 |

Products: Elastic Kibana.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-72643?

Upgrade kibana to a fixed version for your release line: 9.4.5 or 9.5.1.

## Is CVE-2026-72643 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72643 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Elastic Kibana

- [CVE-2019-7609](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7609/): Kibana Arbitrary Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-25015](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-25015/): Kibana arbitrary code execution via prototype pollution (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-37288](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37288/): Deserialization in Kibana (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2023-31415](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-31415/): Code injection in Kibana (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2018-17245](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17245/): Information disclosure in Kibana (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72643 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72643 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 13 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72643 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- kibana (Bitnami): affected from 9.4.0; fixed in 9.4.5, 9.5.1
- elk (Bitnami): affected from 9.4.0; fixed in 9.4.5, 9.5.1

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-2026-72643/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72643/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72643
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72643
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72643

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72643/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.