What is CVE-2021-37942?

CVE-2021-37942 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (maven), affecting versions >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1. It is fixed in 1.27.1. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.

How severe is CVE-2021-37942?

CVE-2021-37942 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2021-37942?

co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (maven) versions >= 1.18.0, = 1.18.0, < 1.27.1.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37942?

Yes. CVE-2021-37942 is fixed in 1.27.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2021-37942 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-37942 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-2021-37942 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-2021-37942 in co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-37942?

CVE-2021-37942 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2021-37942?

co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (maven) versions >= 1.18.0, = 1.18.0, < 1.27.1.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37942?

Yes. CVE-2021-37942 is fixed in 1.27.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2021-37942 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-37942 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-2021-37942 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-2021-37942?

Upgrade: co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent to 1.27.1 or later, co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent to 1.27.1 or later.

Summary

APM Java Agent Local Privilege Escalation issue

A local privilege escalation issue was found with the APM Java agent, where a user on the system could attach a malicious plugin to an application running the APM Java agent. By using this vulnerability, an attacker could execute code at a potentially higher level of permissions than their user typically has access to.

Impact

The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access. Typical impact: privilege escalation beyond the intended level.

CVE-2021-37942 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). The vector is requires local access, 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 (1.27.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (>= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1) co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent (>= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1)

Security releases

co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent → 1.27.1 (maven) co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent → 1.27.1 (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 the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent to 1.27.1 or later; co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent to 1.27.1 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-37942? CVE-2021-37942 is a high-severity improper privilege management vulnerability in co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (maven), affecting versions >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1. It is fixed in 1.27.1. The application assigns, modifies, tracks, or checks privileges incorrectly, allowing a user to gain elevated access.
How severe is CVE-2021-37942? CVE-2021-37942 has a CVSS score of 7.0 (High). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2021-37942?
- co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent (maven) (versions >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1)
- co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent (maven) (versions >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1)
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37942? Yes. CVE-2021-37942 is fixed in 1.27.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2021-37942 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-37942 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-2021-37942 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-2021-37942?
- Upgrade co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent to 1.27.1 or later
- Upgrade co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent to 1.27.1 or later