CVE-2025-68386 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) found in Elastic Kibana versions 7.0.0 through 9.2.0. The flaw arises from improper enforcement of authorization checks when an authenticated user attempts to modify a document's sharing settings. Specifically, the vulnerability allows a user with limited privileges to escalate their access by changing the sharing type of a document to "global" via a crafted HTTP request, despite lacking the necessary permissions. This action makes the document accessible to all users within the same Kibana space, effectively bypassing intended access restrictions. The vulnerability leverages CAPEC-233 (Privilege Escalation via Manipulation of Access Control) techniques. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), and only requires privileges of an authenticated user (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects integrity (I:L) but not confidentiality (C:N) or availability (A:N). No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data exposure within Kibana environments. This can undermine trust in dashboards and reports, potentially leading to misinformation or unauthorized data dissemination. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for organizations relying on Kibana for monitoring, analytics, and operational visibility.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modification of document sharing settings within Kibana, resulting in broader visibility of sensitive dashboards or reports than intended. While it does not directly compromise data confidentiality or system availability, the integrity of access controls is compromised, potentially exposing sensitive operational data to unauthorized users within the same Kibana space. This can affect decision-making processes, compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, and overall security posture. Organizations in sectors such as finance, energy, telecommunications, and government that use Kibana for critical monitoring and analytics are particularly at risk. The vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised accounts to escalate privileges and access sensitive information. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation by any authenticated user necessitates prompt mitigation to prevent potential misuse.

To mitigate CVE-2025-68386, organizations should first verify the Kibana versions in use and plan for an upgrade to patched versions once available from Elastic. In the absence of patches, implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to limit the number of users with permissions to modify document sharing settings. Audit existing user roles and permissions to ensure the principle of least privilege is enforced. Monitor Kibana logs for unusual HTTP requests that attempt to change sharing settings, focusing on anomalous patterns or requests from unexpected users. Consider network segmentation to restrict access to Kibana interfaces only to trusted users and systems. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of account compromise. Additionally, educate users about the risks of privilege escalation and enforce strong password policies. Regularly review and update security policies related to Kibana usage and document sharing. Finally, maintain an incident response plan to quickly address any detected exploitation attempts.