In this work, a method is presented to extend the convolutional perfectly matched layer (C-PML) to simulate acoustic wave propagation in elastic media with a second-order equation formulation. This non-physical layer is used at the computational edge of a finite element method algorithm in frequency domain, and a pseudo-spectral algorithm in time domain, as an absorbing boundary condition (ABC) to truncate unbounded media. Numerical results show that the C-PML ABC attenuates the outgoing surface waves more effectively than classical PML ABC as proposed by Berenger [J. Comput. Phys. 114, 195-200 (1994)] for electromagnetic waves in the case of oblique incidence, where the PML method suffers from large spurious reflections. Moreover, a modification of the proposed C-PML formulation is also discussed in order to stabilize the absorbing layer in anisotropic solids where numerical instabilities can appear.