---
id: CVE-2026-72656
title: >-
  Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value (CWE-789) in the ES|QL query
  processing of Elasticsearch can lead to denial of service via Excessive
  Allocation (CAPEC-130)
summary: >-
  Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value (CWE-789) in the ES|QL query
  processing of Elasticsearch can lead to denial of service via Excessive
  Allocation (CAPEC-130). An authenticated user able to submit ES|QL queries
  could send a spec…
severity: medium
cvss: 6.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-789
vendor: elastic
product: elasticsearch
affected:
  - 'elasticsearch >= 8.11.0, < 8.18.0'
patched:
  - elasticsearch 8.18.0
published: '2026-08-13'
updated: '2026-09-04'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72656'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-8-18-0-9-0-0-security-update-esa-2026-111/389495
    label: security@elastic.co
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.0042
epssPercentile: 0.33695
ingestedAt: '2026-09-05T18:43:14.245Z'
---

## Overview

Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value (CWE-789) in the ES|QL query processing of Elasticsearch can lead to denial of service via Excessive Allocation (CAPEC-130). An authenticated user able to submit ES|QL queries could send a specially crafted query whose evaluation allocates an unbounded amount of heap memory, exhausting the available heap on the receiving node and causing the node to become unavailable.

## Affected

- `elasticsearch >= 8.11.0, < 8.18.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `elasticsearch 8.18.0`