Directory traversal vulnerability in Elasticsearch before 1.6.1 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors related to snapshot API calls.
CVE-2015-5531
Score elevated to 9.0 because EPSS predicts 92% probability of exploitation within the next 30 days (top 0.3% of all CVEs). Confidence: see factors.
- High exploitation likelihood — EPSS 92%
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- —
- EG Score
- 9.0(low)
- EPSS
- 99.8%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
August 17, 2015
Last Modified
May 6, 2026
References (14)
- cve@mitrehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/132721/Elasticsearch-Directory-Traversal.html
- cve@mitrehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133797/ElasticSearch-Path-Traversal-Arbitrary-File-Download.html
- cve@mitrehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133964/ElasticSearch-Snapshot-API-Directory-Traversal.html
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/536017/100/0/threaded
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/75935
- cve@mitrehttps://www.elastic.co/community/security/
- cve@mitrehttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38383/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/132721/Elasticsearch-Directory-Traversal.html
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133797/ElasticSearch-Path-Traversal-Arbitrary-File-Download.html
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/133964/ElasticSearch-Snapshot-API-Directory-Traversal.html
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/536017/100/0/threaded
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/75935
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://www.elastic.co/community/security/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/38383/
Affected Packages
(1 across 1 ecosystem)
Maven(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fixed in | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch | 0.10.0 ... 1.6.0 (122 versions) | 1.6.1 | — |
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 4× in last 7d / 14× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-07-09 19:05 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-09 19:05 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-06 16:24 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-06 02:20 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-01 15:02 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-30 23:19 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-30 23:19 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-28 14:04 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-23 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-16 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-16 17:50 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-15 17:45 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-12 23:09 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-12 23:09 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-11 13:57 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-11 13:57 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-10 13:18 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-06 13:45 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-05 06:08 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-05 06:08 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-04 13:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-04 13:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- 2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-29 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-23 00:03 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-05-22 21:15 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-21 22:40 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-18 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-18 21:30 UTCEPSS rescore
Publicly available exploits
(4 references)Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 Metasploit module) (1 GitHub PoC) (1 Exploit-DB entry). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.
- Open source ↗GitHub PoCMoCh3n/CVE-2015-5531-POCFirst seen Sep 21, 2022
- Exploit-DBEDB-38383First seen Oct 2, 2015
ElasticSearch 1.6.0 - Arbitrary File Download
Open source ↗ - Metasploitauxiliary/scanner/http/elasticsearch_traversal✓ verifiedFirst seen Jan 1, 2015
ElasticSearch Snapshot API Directory Traversal
Open source ↗ - Nucleihttp/cves/2015/CVE-2015-5531.yamlFirst seen Jan 1, 2015
ElasticSearch <1.6.1 - Local File Inclusion
Open source ↗
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2015-5531?
When was CVE-2015-5531 disclosed?
Is CVE-2015-5531 actively exploited?
How do I remediate CVE-2015-5531?
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