# CVE-2013-5971: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can hijack web sessions in VMware vCenter Server to gain unauthorized privileges, requiring user interaction to exploit.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Oct 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vr26-xfqg-vcvf

## What is CVE-2013-5971?

CVE-2013-5971 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Vmware Vcenter Server, published on 21 Oct 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Session fixation vulnerability in the vSphere Web Client Server in VMware vCenter Server 5.0 before Update 3 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions and gain privileges via unspecified vectors.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-5971?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Vcenter Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-5971?

No fix has been published for CVE-2013-5971 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2013-5971 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-5971 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Vcenter Server

- [CVE-2026-59310](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-59310/): Broadcom VMware vCenter Path Traversal (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-34048](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34048/): VMware vCenter Server Out-of-Bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-3952](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3952/): VMware vCenter Server Information Disclosure (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22017/): VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control (medium 5.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2342](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2342/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-5971 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-5971 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Vmware Vcenter Server, published on 21 Oct 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-5971 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vmware Vcenter Server. 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-2013-5971/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5971/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-5971
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-5971
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-5971

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5971/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.