CVE-2024-37085: VMware ESXi Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. A malicious actor with sufficient Active Directory (AD) permissions can gain full access to an ESXi host that was previously configured to use AD for user management by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.
| Vendor | VMware |
|---|---|
| Product | ESXi |
| Date added to KEV | 2024-07-30 |
| Due date (BOD 22-01) | 2024-08-20 |
| Known ransomware campaign use | Known |
| CWE | CWE-305 |
| Required action | Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. |
What to do
- Identify every instance of VMware ESXi in your environment (asset inventory, EDR, vulnerability scanner).
- Apply CISA's required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- Federal civilian agencies must act by 2024-08-20 under BOD 22-01; other organizations can use the same date as a target.
- Because ransomware use is known, check for signs of compromise and confirm backups are offline and tested.
- Check the vendor advisory and NVD entry linked below for affected versions, then record the fix in your change log.
This CVE is flagged by CISA as known to be used in ransomware campaigns. Rehearse your response before you need it: Ransomware tabletop exercise kit (Runbook Foundry).