What is CVE-2021-22145?

CVE-2021-22145 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (maven), affecting versions >= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3. It is fixed in 7.13.4.

How severe is CVE-2021-22145?

CVE-2021-22145 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client are affected by CVE-2021-22145?

org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (maven) versions >= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-22145?

Yes. CVE-2021-22145 is fixed in 7.13.4. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2021-22145 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2021-22145

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-22145?

CVE-2021-22145 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client are affected by CVE-2021-22145?

org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (maven) versions >= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-22145?

Yes. CVE-2021-22145 is fixed in 7.13.4. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2021-22145 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-22145?

Upgrade org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client to 7.13.4 or later.

Summary

Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information in Elasticsearch

A memory disclosure vulnerability was identified in Elasticsearch 7.10.0 to 7.13.3 error reporting. A user with the ability to submit arbitrary queries to Elasticsearch could submit a malformed query that would result in an error message returned containing previously used portions of a data buffer. This buffer could contain sensitive information such as Elasticsearch documents or authentication details.

Impact

CVE-2021-22145 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (7.13.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (>= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3)

Security releases

org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client → 7.13.4 (maven)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client to 7.13.4 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-22145? CVE-2021-22145 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (maven), affecting versions >= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3. It is fixed in 7.13.4.
How severe is CVE-2021-22145? CVE-2021-22145 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client are affected by CVE-2021-22145? org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client (maven) versions >= 7.10.0, <= 7.13.3 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-22145? Yes. CVE-2021-22145 is fixed in 7.13.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2021-22145 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2021-22145 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22145? Upgrade org.elasticsearch.client:elasticsearch-rest-client to 7.13.4 or later.