CVE-2026-78583
Received Received - Intake

Incorrect Authorization in Kibana Leading to Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-09-03

Last updated on: 2026-09-03

Assigner: Elastic

Description
Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) in Kibana can lead to privilege escalation via Input Data Manipulation (CAPEC-153). Elasticsearch cluster privilege declarations originating from integration packages were not validated before being used to mint credentials for enrolled Elastic Agents. A user holding Fleet management privileges could therefore cause every Elastic Agent on a targeted policy to receive a credential carrying arbitrarily elevated Elasticsearch cluster privileges, up to and including full cluster administration.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-03
Last Modified
2026-09-03
Generated
2026-09-04
AI Q&A
2026-09-03
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-78583
EUVD
EUVD-2026-70657

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
elastic kibana *
elastic elasticsearch *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-863 The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an Incorrect Authorization issue (CWE-863) in Kibana that allows privilege escalation through Input Data Manipulation (CAPEC-153). It occurs because Elasticsearch cluster privilege declarations from integration packages are not validated before being used to create credentials for Elastic Agents. A user with Fleet management privileges can exploit this to grant elevated cluster privileges to all agents under a targeted policy, potentially gaining full cluster administration rights.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check Kibana and Elasticsearch versions for affected releases (8.19.20 or earlier, 9.4.5 or earlier, 9.5.2 or earlier). Verify Fleet integration and agent policy configurations for unauthorized cluster privilege escalations. Review user permissions for Fleet management and agent policy management privileges.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with Fleet management access to escalate privileges and gain control over the Elasticsearch cluster. This could lead to unauthorized data access, manipulation, or deletion, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information stored in the cluster.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access or exposure of sensitive data, violating compliance requirements under GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations. It may result in data breaches, unauthorized processing, or failure to maintain data integrity, potentially leading to legal penalties, fines, or reputational damage.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Kibana to the latest version to address the incorrect authorization issue. Review and restrict Fleet management privileges to only necessary users. Monitor Elastic Agent credentials for unusual privilege escalations.

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