CVE-2021-21972The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin. A malicious actor with network…
- 9.8CriticalCVSS base score
- 99.9%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 0.1% of all CVEs
- YesKnown exploitedin CISA's KEV since 3 Nov 2021
- 4Public exploitsMetasploit, Nuclei and Exploit-DB
Description
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 Cloud Foundation (4.x before 4.2 and 3.x before 3.10.1.2).
Exploited in the wild
CISA lists this vulnerability in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as VMware vCenter Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.
- Added
- 3 Nov 2021
- Fix due (US federal)
- 17 Nov 2021
- Used by ransomware
- Known
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
ENISA's EU Vulnerability Database lists it as exploited, from CISA's KEV, since 3 Nov 2021.
Public exploit
An exploit or proof of concept is public: anyone can try it against an unpatched system. The public collections list a Metasploit module, a Nuclei template and 2 Exploit-DB entries for it. CISA's SSVC rates its exploitation: it is being exploited.
Show the exploits4
Metasploit modules1 module
- VMware vCenter Server Unauthenticated OVA File Upload RCE (Metasploit module) (opens in a new tab)
exploit/multi/http/vmware_vcenter_uploadova_rceRank manualdisclosed 23 Feb 2021
Nuclei templates1 template
- VMware vSphere Client (HTML5) - Remote Code Execution (Nuclei template) (opens in a new tab)
http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-21972.yamlSeverity critical
Exploit-DB2 entries
- VMware vCenter Server 7.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Unauthenticated) (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 50056webapps, multiplepublished 24 Jun 2021Not verified
- VMware vCenter Server 7.0 - Unauthenticated File Upload (Exploit-DB entry) (opens in a new tab)
EDB-ID 49602webapps, multiplepublished 1 Mar 2021Not verified
Modules, templates and exploits as listed by the Metasploit Framework (BSD-3-Clause), ProjectDiscovery's Nuclei templates (MIT) and the Exploit Database (GPLv2), read once a day. Where the data comes from
Timeline
ID reserved
By vmware
- 51 days later
· 51 days later
Published
- 8 months later
· 8 months later
Added to CISA KEV
Known exploited, also by ransomware
- 5 years later
· 5 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Analyzed | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 99.9% · top 0.1% of all CVEs (13 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.8.
Affected products
VMware vCenter Server
- affected 7.x before 7.0 U1c
- affected 6.7 before 6.7 U3l
- affected 6.5 before 6.5 U3n
VMware Cloud Foundation
- affected 4.x before 4.2
- affected 3.x before 3.10.1.2
References
References5
- https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-File-Upload.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Remote-Code-Execution.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Code-Execution.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-21972 (opens in a new tab)government-resource
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- CISA KEV catalog (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2021-9143 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2021-21972)Record last updated .