# CVE-2021-22015: Privilege escalation in VMware vCenter Server, VMware Cloud Foundation

> An authenticated local user can exploit improper file permissions to elevate privileges to root on the vCenter Server Appliance.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Sep 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7r68-66h2-v7f6

## What is CVE-2021-22015?

CVE-2021-22015 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 23 Sep 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vCenter Server contains multiple local privilege escalation vulnerabilities due to improper permissions of files and directories. An authenticated local user with non-administrative privilege may exploit these issues to elevate their privileges to root on vCenter Server Appliance.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-22015?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Cloud Foundation, Vmware Vcenter Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-22015?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-22015 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-22015 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-22015 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Scanner for vScalation (CVE-2021-22015) a Local Privilege Escalation in VMWare vCenter (github_poc): https://github.com/PenteraIO/vScalation-CVE-2021-22015
- VMware vCenter vScalation Priv Esc (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Cloud Foundation

- [CVE-2024-38812](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38812/): VMware vCenter Server Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-37079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37079/): Broadcom VMware vCenter Server Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-22954](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22954/): VMware Workspace ONE Access and Identity Manager Server-Side Template Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22005](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22005/): VMware vCenter Server File Upload (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-21985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21985/): VMware vCenter Server Improper Input Validation (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-22015 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-22015 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 23 Sep 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-22015 exists.

Affected product: Vmware Cloud Foundation. 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-2021-22015/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22015/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-22015
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22015
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-22015

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22015/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.