CVE-2026-72648: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in an Environment Variable (CWE-526) in Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes

Routine

MEDIUM 6.5WATCHLISTUPGRADE

CVE-2026-72648 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.5) affecting elastic cloud on kubernetes. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in an Environment Variable (CWE-526) in Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) can lead to information disclosure via Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data (CAPEC-37). When ECK reconciles a Fleet Server resource that authenticates to Elasticsearch with a service account token, the token is written into the generated workload specification in cleartext rather than being referenced from the Kubernetes Secret that EC

Why this priority

On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 63%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-526
Published	2026-08-13
Last modified	2026-09-04

Publisher (CNA): Elastic · Vendor: elastic

Last updated 2026-09-04 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-08-13 20:17 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-09-04 20:16 UTCUpdated Record last modified

elastic elastic cloud on kubernetes UPGRADE

Affected: >= 3.0.0 and < 3.5.0

Fixed in: 3.5.0

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.0.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes || rpm -q elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes || elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes --version

2. UPGRADE to 3.5.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes

Note

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

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE to a release before 3.0.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes sudo apt install elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes=<VERSION_BEFORE_3.0.0> sudo apt-mark hold elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes

3. If no update is available yet, DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes sudo dnf downgrade elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes-<VERSION_BEFORE_3.0.0> sudo dnf versionlock add elastic-cloud-on-kubernetes

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

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-2026-72648?

elastic cloud on kubernetes: upgrade to 3.5.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-72648 being exploited?

CVE-2026-72648 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-2026-72648 affect?

CVE-2026-72648 affects elastic cloud on kubernetes. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.5). Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in an Environment Variable (CWE-526) in Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) can lead to information disclosure via Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data (CAPEC-37). When ECK reconciles a Fleet Server reso

How urgent is CVE-2026-72648?

Priority 37/100. On your watchlist

Software pages

Kubernetes vulnerabilities · Elasticsearch vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-78609 MEDIUM 5.4 UPGRADE Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) in Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) can lead to unauthorized modification o
CVE-2026-78600 LOW 3.5 UPGRADE Incomplete Cleanup (CWE-459) in Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) can lead to unauthorized access via Privileg
CVE-2026-72640 MEDIUM 6.5 UPGRADE The Elastic Cloud on Kubernetes (ECK) operator reads a list of secret references from an annotation on secrets

References

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