CVE-2021-21985
VMware vCenter Server Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
This vulnerability is in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: attackers are using it. If you run vCenter Server, fix it now.
CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal civilian agencies must remediate by Nov 17, 2021.
Patch status
No official fix confirmed yet
Until a fix ships, follow the vendor's mitigations and CISA's required action, limit exposure of affected systems, and watch this record for a patch.
Description
The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in which is enabled by default in vCenter Server. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 may exploit this issue to execute commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system that hosts vCenter Server.
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database. Official vulnerability data, reproduced as published.
Affected products
| Product | Vendor | Affected versions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| vCenter Server | VMware (Broadcom) | — | KEV |
| VMware vCenter Server | VMware (Broadcom) | 6.5; 6.7; 7.0 | NVD |
Sources: KEV = CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; NVD = NIST National Vulnerability Database.
Intelligence timeline
Developments from the last 30 days, newest first.
- CVSS scoredUpdateKEV
CVE-2021-21985 scored CVSS 9.8: VMware vCenter Server, VMware vCenter Server Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
CISA lists this as exploited in the wild and known to be used in ransomware campaigns. Unpatched vCenter Server systems are exposed to active attacks now.
Basis: NIST National Vulnerability Database
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Coverage
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