# CVE-2026-72677: Relative Path Traversal in Kibana Fleet Leading to Unauthorized Deletion of Users and Other Resources

> Attackers can delete Kibana resources by exploiting relative path traversal in Fleet Server host configuration identifiers.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BIT-elk-2026-72677, BIT-kibana-2026-72677, GHSA-xxj8-h2w8-grp8, MINI-4q3v-8g25-3433, MINI-74r7-wwqr-xcm9, MINI-92g9-cpvv-526v, MINI-jhwp-jvmj-46c7, MINI-pw2v-7444-w3r2, MINI-r5c6-jghx-xxp8, MINI-wx5x-chhw-vvgm

## What is CVE-2026-72677?

CVE-2026-72677 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 13 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Relative Path Traversal (CWE-23) in Kibana can lead to the unauthorized deletion of Kibana resources via Relative Path Traversal (CAPEC-139). Kibana Fleet accepted a user-supplied identifier for a Fleet Server host configuration without rejecting relative traversal sequences. The identifier is stored as provided and is later incorporated into the request that Kibana issues when that configuration is removed.

Weakness: CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72677?

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


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `kibana` | Bitnami | From 8.0.0 | 8.19.17, 9.3.6, 9.4.3 |
| `elk` | Bitnami | From 8.0.0 | 8.19.17, 9.3.6, 9.4.3 |

Products: Elastic Kibana.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-72677?

Upgrade kibana to a fixed version for your release line: 8.19.17, 9.3.6 or 9.4.3.

## Is CVE-2026-72677 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72677 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-2026-72677 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72677 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Elastic Kibana, published on 13 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72677 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- kibana (Bitnami): affected from 8.0.0; fixed in 8.19.17, 9.3.6, 9.4.3
- elk (Bitnami): affected from 8.0.0; fixed in 8.19.17, 9.3.6, 9.4.3

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-2026-72677/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72677/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72677
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72677
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72677

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72677/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.