TCP Dangerous Database

Port 9200 (Elasticsearch)

Learn about port 9200 (Elasticsearch) - security risks, vulnerabilities, and common uses. Find devices with port 9200 open.

Quick Info

Port Number

9200

Protocol

TCP

Service

Elasticsearch

IANA Name

Elasticsearch

Service Description

TCP port 9200 is the default port used by Elasticsearch, a distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine. It's built on Apache Lucene and designed to handle large volumes of data quickly and efficiently. Elasticsearch is commonly used for log analytics, full-text search, security intelligence, business analytics, and operational intelligence. It allows users to store, search, and analyze big data in near real-time.

Elasticsearch exposes its functionality primarily through a REST API, which communicates over HTTP. Clients send HTTP requests to port 9200 to perform operations like indexing documents, searching data, managing the cluster, and retrieving information. The protocol involves sending JSON payloads in the request body for indexing and searching. Elasticsearch works by distributing data across multiple nodes in a cluster, enabling horizontal scalability and fault tolerance. Each node can act as a master node (managing the cluster state), a data node (storing data), an ingest node (transforming data), or a coordinating node (routing requests). The master node election is handled by a distributed consensus algorithm. Data is stored in indices, which are further divided into shards (primary and replica shards) for redundancy and improved performance.

## Firewall Recommendations

Blocking port 9200 from the public internet is highly recommended unless there is a specific and well-justified business need for external access. If external access is required, implement strong authentication (e.g., username/password, API keys, or certificate-based authentication) and authorization controls to restrict access to authorized users and applications only. Use a firewall to allow access only from trusted IP addresses or networks. Consider using a VPN for remote access. Regularly update Elasticsearch to the latest version to patch known vulnerabilities. Implement network segmentation to isolate the Elasticsearch cluster from other sensitive systems. Monitor Elasticsearch logs for suspicious activity and implement intrusion detection systems to detect and respond to potential attacks.

Security Information

Exposing Elasticsearch on port 9200 to the public internet without proper authentication and authorization is a significant security risk. Attackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, manipulate data, or even execute arbitrary code on the server. Common attack vectors include exploiting known vulnerabilities in Elasticsearch itself or its plugins, brute-forcing credentials (if basic authentication is enabled), or leveraging misconfigurations to bypass security controls. Elasticsearch clusters are often targeted because they can contain valuable information like user credentials, financial data, or intellectual property. Unsecured Elasticsearch instances are easily discoverable using search engines like Shodan, making them attractive targets for malicious actors. Data breaches, denial-of-service attacks, and ransomware infections are potential consequences of neglecting Elasticsearch security.

Known Vulnerabilities

CVE	Name	Severity	Description
CVE-2015-1427	Groovy scripting engine sandbox bypass	Critical	Allowed remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
CVE-2015-3337	Directory traversal vulnerability	High	Allowed remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in a URL.
CVE-2014-3120	Remote Code Execution via MVEL expressions	Critical	Allowed remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting an MVEL expression within a search query.
CVE-2021-44228	Log4Shell (although Elasticsearch's default config mitigates this)	Critical	Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Apache Log4j 2, which Elasticsearch uses. While Elasticsearch's default security settings mitigate the risk, custom configurations may be vulnerable if not properly configured.
CVE-2024-27456	Elasticsearch Security Bypass Vulnerability	High	A security bypass vulnerability exists in Elasticsearch where a malicious user could bypass the authorization checks of the system and gain access to sensitive information.