CVE-2021-22137
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Elasticsearch
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
5.3
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22137- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.3 Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22137- Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-4199 No score
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.
- Record
EUVD-2022-4199- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hr65-qq6p-87r4
5.3
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Elasticsearch
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.
- Record
GHSA-hr65-qq6p-87r4- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
5.3
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.
- Record
CVE-2021-22137- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-hr65-qq6p-87r4
5.3
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Elasticsearch
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.
- Record
GHSA-hr65-qq6p-87r4- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-281
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2021-22137
5.3
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.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2021-22137- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-elasticsearch-2021-22137 No score
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.
- Record
BIT-elasticsearch-2021-22137- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearchMaven |
7.11.0 to 7.11.1 | 7.11.2 |
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearchMaven |
through 6.8.14 | 6.8.15 |
elasticsearchBitnami |
before 6.8.15, 7.11.0 up to 7.11.2 | 6.8.157.11.2 |
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearchMaven |
7.11.0 up to 7.11.2, plus listed versions 7.11.1 |
7.11.2 |
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearchMaven |
before 6.8.15, plus listed versions 0.10.00.11.00.12.00.12.10.13.0 Show 45 moreShow less0.13.10.14.00.14.10.14.20.14.30.14.40.15.00.15.10.15.20.16.00.16.10.16.20.16.30.16.40.16.50.17.00.17.10.17.100.17.20.17.30.17.40.17.50.17.60.17.70.17.80.17.90.18.00.18.10.18.20.18.30.18.40.18.50.18.60.18.70.19.00.19.0.RC10.19.0.RC20.19.0.RC30.19.10.19.100.19.110.19.120.19.20.19.30.19.4 |
6.8.15 |
elasticsearchUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.6.2+dfsg-11.7.3+dfsg-11.7.3+dfsg-21.7.3+dfsg-3 |
None known |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-22137 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Elastic Elasticsearch, published May 13, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.19%, the 68th percentile. Fixed in org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch 7.11.2.
References
discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-stack-7-12-0-and-6-8-15-security-update/268125
security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210625-0003
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22137
github.com/advisories/GHSA-hr65-qq6p-87r4
github.com/elastic/elasticsearch
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2021-22137
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-22137
Left out here: 201 versions. The JSON record has them.