CVE-2021-22146Elasticsearch Vulnerability
All versions of Elastic Cloud Enterprise has the Elasticsearch “anonymous” user enabled by default in deployed clusters.
Published Jul 21, 2021 · Updated Sep 8, 2026 · Also known as BIT-elasticsearch-2021-22146
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2021-22146 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 7.5 v3.1) affecting Elasticsearch.
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. Public exploit code is available.
- EPSS estimates a 36% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including Elasticsearch 7.13.4.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Scores
CVSS v3.1
7.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
36%
Higher than 98.4% of all scored CVEs
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
ATLAS score
42/100
Publication score, see How it works
Exploitation Verdict
KEV listed
Not listed
Federal due date
None
No federal due date
Ransomware use
Not reported
Attributed actors
None named
Exploit & Defence Guidance
Exploit maturity
Proof of concept
Public exploit code
2
Proof-of-concept links
In-the-wild evidence
0
Reports of active use
Advisories And Exploit References
Description
All versions of Elastic Cloud Enterprise has the Elasticsearch “anonymous” user enabled by default in deployed clusters. While in the default setting the anonymous user has no permissions and is unable to successfully query any Elasticsearch APIs, an attacker could leverage the anonymous user to gain insight into certain details of a deployed cluster.
Affected Products
2 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| ElasticsearchElastic | 7.13.3, >= 7.13.3 | 7.13.4 |
Patched Releases
Elasticsearch
7.13.4
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Jul 21, 2021
Last updated
Sep 8, 2026
References
FAQ
Common Questions.
All versions of Elastic Cloud Enterprise has the Elasticsearch “anonymous” user enabled by default in deployed clusters.
Affected: Elasticsearch versions 7.13.3, >= 7.13.3. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Public exploit code is available.
Fixed versions are available, including Elasticsearch 7.13.4.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because public exploit code exists for a high-severity flaw.
Is CVE-2021-22146 On Your Attack Surface?
Brandefense matches it against the products discovered on your perimeter and opens a finding the day a CVE like this is listed.
Request A Demo