CVE-2019-13420: Search Guard versions before 21.0 had an timing side channel issue when using the internal user database.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2019-13420?

search guard: upgrade to 21.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2019-13420 being exploited?

CVE-2019-13420 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2019-13420 affect?

CVE-2019-13420 affects search guard. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.9). Search Guard versions before 21.0 had an timing side channel issue when using the internal user database.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2019-13420?

Priority 43/100. Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

This month

MEDIUM 5.9REMOTEUPGRADE

CVE-2019-13420 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.9) affecting search guard. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Search Guard versions before 21.0 had an timing side channel issue when using the internal user database.

Why this priority

Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.9 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	High
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	1.2% (top 32%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-208, CWE-203
Published	2019-08-13
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): floragunn GmbH · Vendor: search-guard

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2019-08-13 15:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 02:16 UTCUpdated Record last modified

search-guard search guard UPGRADE

Affected: < 21.0

Fixed in: 21.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy search-guard || rpm -q search-guard || search-guard --version

2. UPGRADE to 21.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade search-guard

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade search-guard

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2019-13420?

search guard: upgrade to 21.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2019-13420 being exploited?

CVE-2019-13420 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2019-13420 affect?

CVE-2019-13420 affects search guard. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.9). Search Guard versions before 21.0 had an timing side channel issue when using the internal user database.

How urgent is CVE-2019-13420?

Priority 43/100. Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

Related CVEs

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CVE-2019-13422 MEDIUM 6.1 UPGRADE Search Guard Kibana Plugin versions before 5.6.8-7 and before 6.x.y-12 had an issue that an attacker can redir
CVE-2019-13421 MEDIUM 4.9 UPGRADE Search Guard versions before 23.1 had an issue that an administrative user is able to retrieve bcrypt password
CVE-2019-13419 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Search Guard versions before 23.1 had an issue that for aggregations clear text values of anonymised fields we
CVE-2019-13418 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Search Guard versions before 24.0 had an issue that values of string arrays in documents are not properly anon

References

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