# CVE-2006-2481: Information disclosure in n/a

> Attackers can steal base64-encoded authentication cookies via XSS to gain unauthorized privileges on VMware ESX Server.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 31 Jul 2006
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6f84-r44w-9f3r

## What is CVE-2006-2481?

CVE-2006-2481 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Vmware Esx, published on 31 Jul 2006. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

VMware ESX Server 2.0.x before 2.0.2 and 2.x before 2.5.2 patch 4 stores authentication credentials in base 64 encoded format in the vmware.mui.kid and vmware.mui.sid cookies, which allows attackers to gain privileges by obtaining the cookies using attacks such as cross-site scripting (CVE-2005-3619).

Weakness: CWE-255

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2006-2481?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Esx.

## How do I fix CVE-2006-2481?

No fix has been published for CVE-2006-2481 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2006-2481 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2006-2481 exists.

Public exploit code:

- VMware ESX 2.x - Multiple Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Esx

- [CVE-2013-1405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1405/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-1516](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1516/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2013-3658](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3658/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2012-3288](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3288/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-4281](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4281/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2006-2481 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2006-2481 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Vmware Esx, published on 31 Jul 2006. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2006-2481 exists.

Affected product: Vmware Esx. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2481/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2481/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2006-2481
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2006-2481
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2006-2481

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-2481/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.