CVE-2021-22132: Elasticsearch Insufficiently Protected Credentials Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5fvx-2jj3-6mff
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CVSS 4.8
CWE-522
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-22132 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.8) insufficiently protected credentials vulnerability (CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves insufficiently protected credentials in elasticsearch. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.10.2.

CVE-2021-22132 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-22132
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5fvx-2jj3-6mff
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.8
CWE Classification CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-22132

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Elasticsearch dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch fixed: 7.10.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>7.10.2</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-22132, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Elasticsearch in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.10.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, where the product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval. In Elasticsearch, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Elasticsearch versions 7.7.0 to 7.10.1 contain an information disclosure flaw in the async search API. Users who execute an async search will improperly store the HTTP headers. An Elasticsearch user with the ability to read the .tasks index could obtain sensitive request headers of other users in the cluster. This issue is fixed in Elasticsearch 7.10.2

CVE-2021-22132 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.10.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
≥ 7.7.0
< 7.10.2
7.10.2

References

NVD — CVE-2021-22132 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22132
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-7-10-2-security-update/261164
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210219-0004
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-22132?
CVE-2021-22132 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Insufficiently Protected Credentials in Elasticsearch under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials.
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.10.2 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2021-22132?
Upgrading to 7.10.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is elasticsearch affected?
Yes, org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch is affected in releases prior to 7.10.2. Upgrade your dependency to 7.10.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-22132?
CVE-2021-22132 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.8 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-22132?
CVE-2021-22132 is classified under CWE-522: Insufficiently Protected Credentials (The product transmits or stores authentication credentials, but it uses an insecure method that is susceptible to unauthorized interception and/or retrieval.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-22132?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5fvx-2jj3-6mff",
  "modified" : "2021-03-16T01:19:41Z",
  "published" : "2021-03-18T19:27:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-22132" ],
  "summary" : "Insufficiently Protected Credentials in Elasticsearch",
  "details" : "Elasticsearch versions 7.7.0 to 7.10.1 contain an information disclosure flaw in the async search API. Users who execute an async search will improperly store the HTTP headers. An Elasticsearch user with the ability to read the .tasks index could obtain sensitive request headers of other users in the cluster. This issue is fixed in Elasticsearch 7.10.2",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.7.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.10.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22132"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-7-10-2-security-update/261164"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210219-0004"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-522" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-16T01:19:41Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-01-14T20:15:00Z"
  }
}