How severe is CVE-2021-37937?

CVE-2021-37937 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-37937 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-37937?

CVE-2021-37937 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-37937?

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

When was CVE-2021-37937 published?

CVE-2021-37937 was published on 2023-11-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-37937

CVE-2021-37937 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Elastic Elasticsearch with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (49th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Elastic Elasticsearch
Published: 2023-11-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was found with how API keys are created with the Fleet-Server service account. When an API key is created with a service account, it is possible that the API key could be created with higher privileges than intended. Using this vulnerability, a compromised Fleet-Server service account could escalate themselves to a super-user.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-37937?: An issue was found with how API keys are created with the Fleet-Server service account. When an API key is created with a service account, it is possible that the API key could be created with higher privileges than intended. Using this vulnerability, a compromised Fleet-Server service account could escalate themselves to a super-user.
How severe is CVE-2021-37937?: CVE-2021-37937 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-37937 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-37937?: CVE-2021-37937 affects Elastic Elasticsearch. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-37937?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-37937 published?: CVE-2021-37937 was published on 2023-11-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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

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