diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/changelog.yml b/packages/elasticsearch/changelog.yml
index 7222ee89ca6..1ac10a295c7 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/changelog.yml
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/changelog.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 # newer versions go on top
+- version: "1.20.2"
+  changes:
+    - description: Fix authentication failure when password contains YAML special characters (e.g. double quotes) by using the escape_string Handlebars helper.
+      type: bugfix
+      link: https://github.com/elastic/integrations/issues/18434
 - version: "1.20.1"
   changes:
     - description: Make Elasticsearch server log pipeline tolerate missing elasticsearch fields
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ccr/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ccr/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 4431e985233..8841657e0e0 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ccr/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ccr/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/cluster_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/cluster_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 2a371f8127c..7c6fb313434 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/cluster_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/cluster_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/enrich/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/enrich/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 7e53d56abb3..f6299aa1591 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/enrich/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/enrich/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index f3c479c474d..4984dd87285 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_recovery/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_recovery/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 5ee6375830a..f37265a6715 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_recovery/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_recovery/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_summary/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_summary/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index c39a81cc8dc..3f4cf5235d1 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_summary/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/index_summary/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ingest_pipeline/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ingest_pipeline/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index b643a766159..e930fb8f0b8 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ingest_pipeline/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ingest_pipeline/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ml_job/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ml_job/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 734459d2ccd..2bbb4c21862 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ml_job/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/ml_job/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 38a49e39908..d977bb3003e 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 7c40969f1f8..70738179d19 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/node_stats/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/pending_tasks/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/pending_tasks/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index adf3c05e2ea..45010476ba5 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/pending_tasks/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/pending_tasks/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/shard/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/shard/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
index 5e14b3e2342..5308840d456 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/shard/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/data_stream/shard/agent/stream/stream.yml.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ scope: {{scope}}
 username: {{username}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if password}}
-password: {{password}}
+password: {{escape_string password}}
 {{/if}}
 {{#if api_key}}
 api_key: {{api_key}}
diff --git a/packages/elasticsearch/manifest.yml b/packages/elasticsearch/manifest.yml
index 68219f2c796..854c34cf059 100644
--- a/packages/elasticsearch/manifest.yml
+++ b/packages/elasticsearch/manifest.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: elasticsearch
 title: Elasticsearch
-version: 1.20.1
+version: 1.20.2
 description: Elasticsearch Integration
 type: integration
 icons: