CVE-2021-22147

Authenticated data exposure via unenforced snapshot restrictions

Published Sep 15, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Authorization failure in searchable snapshots in Elasticsearch 7.11.0 through 7.13.4 allows remote authenticated users to read hidden data. The searchable-snapshot search path omits document- and field-level security restrictions, so queries return documents or fields excluded by the account's role. Exploitation requires an authenticated account, a searchable snapshot, and role rules intended to hide the requested data.

CVSS severity5.7
Medium
EPSS probability1.04%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authorization failure in searchable snapshots in Elasticsearch 7.11.0 through 7.13.4 allows remote authenticated users to read hidden data. The searchable-snapshot search path omits document- and field-level security restrictions, so queries return documents or fields excluded by the account's role. Exploitation requires an authenticated account, a searchable snapshot, and role rules intended to hide the requested data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-22147
Published
Sep 15, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Elastic
Product
Elasticsearch
Classifications
CWE-732, CWE-862, T1213.006
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 15, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=versions 7.11.0 to 7.13.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Elastic · Elasticsearchversion=versions 7.11.0 to 7.13.4

Published CVSS scores

6.5GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.7ElasticCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1213.006Data from Information Repositories: Databases

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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