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 https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was dele
What happened
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 https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.
CISA lists it as exploited, added 30 Jul 2024.
Does it affect you
Names VMware ESXi. Enter the product and version you run to place it against the affected range the vendor published.
What to do
- Apply the vendor patch named in this advisory.
support.broadcom.com - Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
cisa.gov
CISA’s notes for this entry:
Affected, as published to NVD
- vmware-esxi
- VMware ESXi: exactly 7.0
The record
- NVD status
- Analyzed
- Published
- 25 Jun 2024, last modified 17 Jun 2026 (NVD)
- Severity
- CVSS 3.1 base score 7.2, High — computed here from the vector; NVD states 7.2.
- Vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weakness
- CWE-287 Improper Authentication, CWE-305 (NVD; names by MITRE)
- Exploitation
- Listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue since 30 Jul 2024; federal remediation due 20 Aug 2024. CISA records known use in ransomware campaigns. CISA entry
- Exploit probability
- EPSS 26.8%, 98th percentile — FIRST, scored 23 Oct 2026. FIRST EPSS
- Vendor
- VMware · ESXi (CISA)
References on the NVD record
Sources
The verdict above is computed from the products and versions you entered and the affected ranges the vendor published to NVD. It does not inspect your environment, and this site never reports a product as unaffected: why.