How severe is CVE-2021-22137?

CVE-2021-22137 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-22137 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-22137?

CVE-2021-22137 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-22137?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-22137 published?

CVE-2021-22137 was published on 2021-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-22137

CVE-2021-22137 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-281.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.3)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (62nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-281
Affected product: Elastic Elasticsearch
Published: 2021-05-13
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Elasticsearch versions before 7.11.2 and 6.8.15 a document disclosure flaw was found when Document or Field Level Security is used. Search queries do not properly preserve security permissions when executing certain cross-cluster search queries. This could result in the search disclosing the existence of documents the attacker should not be able to view. This could result in an attacker gaining additional insight into potentially sensitive indices.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-22137?: In Elasticsearch versions before 7.11.2 and 6.8.15 a document disclosure flaw was found when Document or Field Level Security is used. Search queries do not properly preserve security permissions when executing certain cross-cluster search queries. This could result in the search disclosing the existence of documents the attacker should not be able to view. This could result in an attacker gaining additional insight into potentially sensitive indices.
How severe is CVE-2021-22137?: CVE-2021-22137 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-22137 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-22137?: CVE-2021-22137 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22137?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-22137 published?: CVE-2021-22137 was published on 2021-05-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:elastic:elasticsearch:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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