CVE-2021-37937Network attack vector

Service-account privilege escalation via overprivileged API keys

Published Nov 22, 2023 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in Elastic Elasticsearch 7.13.0 through 7.14.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain superuser access via API-key creation. The API-key creation path accepts the Fleet-Server service account but can assign the resulting key privileges beyond that account's intended scope. Exploitation requires control of the highly privileged Fleet-Server service account; the resulting superuser key permits reading and modifying protected cluster data.

CVSS severity5.9
Medium
EPSS probability0.71%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Elastic Elasticsearch 7.13.0 through 7.14.0 allows remote authenticated users to gain superuser access via API-key creation. The API-key creation path accepts the Fleet-Server service account but can assign the resulting key privileges beyond that account's intended scope. Exploitation requires control of the highly privileged Fleet-Server service account; the resulting superuser key permits reading and modifying protected cluster data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-37937
Published
Nov 22, 2023
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Elastic
Product
Elasticsearch
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 22, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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=7.13.0 <7.14.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Elastic · Elasticsearchversion=7.13.0 <7.14.0

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.9ElasticCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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