Threats / VMware / CVE-2021-22005
CVE-2021-22005
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
VMware vCenter Server vulnerability
VMware vCenter Server contains a file upload vulnerability in the Analytics service allowing remote code execution over port 443.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
A path traversal flaw in vCenter Server's Analytics service enables unauthenticated remote code execution. The vulnerability has been actively exploited in ransomware campaigns, presenting critical risk to virtualized infrastructure.
CISA KEV Yes · 2021-11-033Ransomware use Flagged3EPSS 0.99999 (verify live)4Exploit Weaponized · public PoC5
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
557 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.99999 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: VMware, vCenter Server. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-23 Relative Path Traversal — weakness family: Path traversal / file.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious file upload request to the Analytics service on port 443.
Business
Attacker gains initial code execution on the vCenter Server host.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I leverage path traversal to place my payload outside intended directories.
Business
Malicious code executes with vCenter Server process privileges.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I establish persistence and move laterally across the virtualized environment.
Business
Entire datacenter infrastructure becomes compromised and vulnerable to encryption.
4
Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4
Attacker
I deploy ransomware across virtual machines managed by the compromised vCenter.
Business
Organization faces widespread service disruption and extortion demands.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05