Vulnerability identifier: #VU53595

Vulnerability risk: Critical

CVSSv3.1: 9.4 [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-21985

CWE-ID: CWE-20

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
vCenter Server
Server applications / Virtualization software
Cloud Foundation
Client/Desktop applications / Virtualization software

Vendor: VMware, Inc

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to compromise the affected system.

The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input within the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in, which is enabled by default. A remote non-authenticated attacker can send a specially crafted HTTP request to the vSphere Client available at port 443/tcp and execute arbitrary commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system that hosts vCenter Server.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

vCenter Server: 6.5 - 7.0.0

Cloud Foundation: 3.0 - 4.2

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External links
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0010.html

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

Yes. This vulnerability is being exploited in the wild.