CVE-2026-49092 Elastic CVE debrief

Who should care

Users of Kibana, especially those with lower-privileged user accounts, should be aware of this vulnerability and take steps to mitigate it. This includes reviewing and updating Kibana configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place, monitoring user activity and data access to detect potential exploitation, and implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control. Organizations using Kibana should prioritize securing their deployments and ensuring that access controls are properly enforced to prevent unauthorized data access and processing under different user privileges.

Technical summary

A vulnerability in Kibana, known as Unintended Proxy or Intermediary ('Confused Deputy') (CWE-441), can lead to unauthorized information exposure via Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs (CAPEC-1). Under certain conditions, a lower-privileged user can cause data from sources they are not authorized to access to be processed using another user's privileges. This vulnerability affects Kibana and has a CVSS score of 4.3, indicating a medium severity. The vulnerability can be mitigated by reviewing and updating Kibana configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place, monitoring user activity and data access to detect potential exploitation, and implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control.

Defensive priority

Medium priority due to the CVSS score of 4.3 and the potential for unauthorized information exposure. Defenders should prioritize reviewing and updating Kibana configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place and monitor user activity and data access to detect potential exploitation. Implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control is also recommended. This vulnerability has a medium priority due to its potential impact, and defenders should take steps to mitigate it promptly, especially in environments where lower-privileged users have access to sensitive data sources. The priority is based on the CVSS score and the potential for unauthorized information exposure, which could lead to data breaches or other security incidents if exploited. Therefore, defenders should focus on securing Kibana deployments and ensuring that access controls are properly enforced to prevent unauthorized data access and processing under different user privileges. The medium priority also reflects the need for defenders to balance the risk of exploitation with the effort required to implement mitigations and ensure that Kibana configurations are secure and up-to-date. Overall, the defensive priority is medium because the vulnerability can have a significant impact if exploited, but mitigations can be implemented to reduce the risk effectively. Defenders should review and update Kibana configurations, monitor user activity, and implement additional security measures to prevent exploitation and minimize potential damage. The priority level indicates that defenders should take prompt action to secure Kibana deployments and prevent potential security incidents. The medium priority also suggests that defenders should be vigilant and proactive in their efforts to mitigate the vulnerability and protect against potential exploitation. By prioritizing the mitigation of this vulnerability, defenders can reduce the risk of unauthorized information exposure and ensure the security and integrity of their Kibana deployments. The defensive priority is medium, indicating a need for prompt and effective mitigation to prevent the CV

Recommended defensive actions

• Review and update Kibana configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place.
• Monitor user activity and data access to detect potential exploitation.
• Implement additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control.
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up.
• Review the supplied official advisory or CVE record to validate affected scope, severity, and vendor guidance.
• Plan vendor-supported updates or mitigations through normal change control where exposure is confirmed.
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review.

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-07-21T20:17:01.610Z and has not been modified since then. The NVD entry is currently Awaiting Analysis. The Elastic security team has released an update to address this issue. Evidence is limited, and defenders should verify the affected scope and vendor guidance. The vulnerability affects Kibana, and lower-privileged users may be able to access unauthorized data.

Official resources