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High, CVSS 7.0

APM Java Agent Local Privilege Escalation issue

CVE-2021-37942GHSA-5xqm-hc45-f2g2

What to do

Vendor fix available. Upgrade each affected package to the fixed version on its release line (co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent 1.27.1; co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent 1.27.1), redeploy, then verify what is actually installed.

This page has no inventory attached, so it cannot say whether you are affected. A vendor fix is not proof that your deployment is fixed.

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Affected packages

Sources

Severity and exploitation
Exploitation
No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.
CVSS
7.0 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
  • CVE-2021-37942: 0.25% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 16.30 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.
Source description

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

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.

Dates and revisions
Published by the source
Last modified by the source
Source last checked
  1. Revision 1 · created ·

    Published from ghsa record GHSA-5xqm-hc45-f2g2

Agent brief

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2021-37942

Advisory: APM Java Agent Local Privilege Escalation issue
IDs: CVE-2021-37942, GHSA-5xqm-hc45-f2g2
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2021-37942 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:40 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.0)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent 1.27.1; co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent 1.27.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent: affected >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1; fixed in 1.27.1
- Maven co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent: affected >= 1.18.0, < 1.27.1; fixed in 1.27.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Maven co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on co.elastic.apm:elastic-apm-agent, co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5xqm-hc45-f2g2 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-5xqm-hc45-f2g2 lists affected ranges: Maven co.elastic.apm:apm-agent-parent >=1.18.0 =1.18.0 <1.27.1)

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