How severe is CVE-2014-3120?

CVE-2014-3120 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2014-3120 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2014-3120 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-03-25, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2014-3120?

CVE-2014-3120 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-3120?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2014-3120 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2014-3120 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2022-5879. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-03-25).

When was CVE-2014-3120 published?

CVE-2014-3120 was published on 2014-07-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-3120

CVE-2014-3120 is a high-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2022-03-25). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-284.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.1)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 89% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2022-03-25)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2022-5879
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2022-03-25)
Weakness: CWE-284
Affected product: Elastic Elasticsearch
Published: 2014-07-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-3120?: The default configuration in Elasticsearch before 1.2 enables dynamic scripting, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary MVEL expressions and Java code via the source parameter to _search. NOTE: this only violates the vendor's intended security policy if the user does not run Elasticsearch in its own independent virtual machine.
How severe is CVE-2014-3120?: CVE-2014-3120 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2014-3120 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2014-3120 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2022-03-25, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2014-3120?: CVE-2014-3120 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-3120?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2014-3120 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2014-3120 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2022-5879. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2022-03-25).
When was CVE-2014-3120 published?: CVE-2014-3120 was published on 2014-07-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:elastic:elasticsearch:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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