CVE-2021-21972 — The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a v
The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin. 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 Se
Published
2021-02-24T17:15:15.833
Last modified
2026-08-12T05:17:35.260
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA KEV — Actively Exploited
01What is this vulnerability?
The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin. 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. This affects VMware vCenter Server (7.x before 7.0 U1c, 6.7 before 6.7 U3l and 6.5 before 6.5 U3n) and VMware…
02Affected products
No structured affected-product list available — see references below for vendor advisories.
03Active exploitation status
Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2021-11-03. Ransomware use: Known.
04Recommended remediation
- Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
- Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
- Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.
05Technical details
For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.
06Detection signatures
Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:
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07Related CVEs
No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.
08Timeline
- Published: 2021-02-24T17:15:15.833
- Last modified: 2026-08-12T05:17:35.260
- Added to CISA KEV: 2021-11-03
09References
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-…
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Re…
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Co…
- www.vmware.com — https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-…
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Re…
- packetstormsecurity.com — http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Co…
- www.vmware.com — https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html
- www.cisa.gov — https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-…
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