Elasticsearch Default Credentials: What You Need to Know

Understanding Elasticsearch defaults and why they matter

In the context of identity and access, the question what is default username and password for elasticsearch often arises during initial setup and hardening. Elasticsearch ships with a security model that relies on built-in users and roles. There is no universal default password that works across all installations; instead, you must define credentials as part of the bootstrap process if security is enabled. This distinction matters because a cluster with no password or weak credentials can be exposed to unauthorized access, data exposure, and control plane manipulation. For developers and IT admins, the key takeaway is to treat credential management as a foundational security control, not as an afterthought. The elastic user is the canonical superuser in recent Elastic Stack releases, and other built-in accounts exist to support system components.

From a security perspective, plan your credential strategy early. Even in a local development environment, you should enable security when possible and automate password provisioning to avoid hard-coded credentials in configuration files or scripts. This approach reduces risk and aligns with industry best practices for identity and access management.

Default usernames you should know in Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch defines several built-in accounts that underpin security operations and inter-component access. The primary superuser is named elastic, and it is the account you typically use to configure roles and grant privileges. Other common built-in accounts include kibana_system (for Kibana interactions), logstash_system (for Logstash integrations), and beats_system (for data shippers). Depending on version and modules, there may be additional service accounts for monitoring, remote interaction, or integration endpoints. While these accounts simplify configuration, they must all be secured with unique, strong passwords and appropriate RBAC controls. Remember: if you haven’t set up security, these accounts should not be exposed publicly; enable TLS, authentication, and access controls before production deployments.

Understanding which accounts exist helps you design a safer architecture. Do not rely on blanket whitelisting; instead assign precise roles, enforce least privilege, and monitor access patterns to detect anomalies.

How the bootstrap password setup works and what you need to know

To secure an Elasticsearch cluster with built-in users, you typically bootstrap passwords during installation. The common approach is to use the elasticsearch-setup-passwords tool, either in auto or interactive mode. In auto mode, the tool assigns strong, system-generated passwords to the built-in users and prints them for you to store securely. In interactive mode, you supply your own passwords, guiding the process with prompts. If security is enabled but you forget the password for the elastic user, you will need to follow recovery procedures supported by your deployment, which may involve using a bootstrap bootstrap password reset mechanism or reconfiguring credentials via the Security API. In cloud or Elastic Cloud deployments, password management is integrated with the platform’s identity controls.

Key: always store bootstrap credentials securely, rotate them regularly, and plan a password reset path that does not rely on hard-coded values in scripts or config files.

Practical steps to set, rotate, and verify passwords

1. Ensure security is enabled on your cluster. 2) Access the server where Elasticsearch runs. 3) Run the recommended password setup command, for example: bin/elasticsearch-setup-passwords auto or bin/elasticsearch-setup-passwords interactive. 4) Save the generated credentials in a secure vault or password manager. 5) Create and assign meaningful roles to each built-in account, then rotate passwords on a schedule that matches your risk posture. 6) Verify authentication by attempting to log in via REST API or Kibana with the new credentials, and review audit logs to confirm successful access and permissions. 7) Document the process for future rotations and incident response. By following these steps, you ensure that the elastic user and other accounts have robust, trackable credentials that withstand common attack vectors.

Note: In development environments, you may temporarily disable security for testing, but never do so in production. Always align credential management with your organization’s security policy and monitoring regime.

Common pitfalls and misconfigurations

A frequent pitfall is assuming a default password exists and leaving credentials unset or stored insecurely in code or configuration files. Another common issue is running Elasticsearch with security turned off in production, which exposes the cluster to unauthorized access. Misconfigured TLS/SSL can also undermine authentication safeguards; always enable encryption in transit and verify certificates. Finally, failing to rotate built-in user passwords after bootstrap or forgetting to apply RBAC can grant excessive access to services and dashboards. Regularly review role assignments, limit network exposure to the cluster, and implement alerts for authentication failures to catch suspicious activity early.