CVE-2021-22147: Elasticsearch Exposure Of Sensitive Information Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-45h5-r968-5xr7
Share
CVSS 6.5
CWE-732 CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-22147 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) exposure of sensitive information vulnerability (CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) affecting Elasticsearch libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves exposure of sensitive information in elasticsearch. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.14.0.

CVE-2021-22147 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-22147
GHSA Identifier GHSA-45h5-r968-5xr7
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
Affected Product Elasticsearch
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-22147

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: 7.14.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>elasticsearch</artifactId>
    <version>7.14.0</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-2021-22147, 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 7.14.0), 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-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, where the product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors. 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

A flaw was discovered in Elasticsearch where document and field level security was not applied to searchable snapshots. This could lead to an authenticated user gaining access to information that they are unauthorized to view.

CVE-2021-22147 Affected Elasticsearch Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.14.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch
maven/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch
Maven
≥ 7.11.0
< 7.14.0
7.14.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-22147 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22147
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-stack-7-14-0-security-update/280344
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211008-0002
Elasticsearch Security Information SECURITY
https://www.elastic.co/community/security

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-22147?
CVE-2021-22147 is a security vulnerability in Elasticsearch involving Exposure of sensitive information in Elasticsearch under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource.
Which Elasticsearch versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.14.0 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch.
What version fixes CVE-2021-22147?
Upgrading to 7.14.0 (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 7.14.0. Upgrade your dependency to 7.14.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-22147?
CVE-2021-22147 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-22147?
CVE-2021-22147 is classified under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource (The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-22147?
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-45h5-r968-5xr7",
  "modified" : "2021-09-27T18:51:18Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-20T20:29:40Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-22147" ],
  "summary" : "Exposure of sensitive information in Elasticsearch",
  "details" : "A flaw was discovered in Elasticsearch where document and field level security was not applied to searchable snapshots. This could lead to an authenticated user gaining access to information that they are unauthorized to view.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.11.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.14.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22147"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-stack-7-14-0-security-update/280344"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211008-0002"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.elastic.co/community/security"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-732", "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-16T17:10:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-15T12:15:00Z"
  }
}