# CVE-2024-37085: VMware ESXi Authentication Bypass > Attackers with AD permissions can regain full ESXi host access by recreating a deleted admin group, requiring prior AD configuration. - **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 30 Jul 2024 (CISA KEV), used in ransomware - **Login needed:** An administrator - **Attackable:** Over the internet - **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something - **Fix available:** No - **Published:** 25 Jun 2024 - **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025 - **Also known as:** GHSA-485m-923f-95wx ## What is CVE-2024-37085? CVE-2024-37085 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 25 Jun 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. ### Official description VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. A malicious actor with sufficient Active Directory (AD) permissions can gain full access to an ESXi host that was previously configured to use AD for user management https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD. Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-305 (Authentication Bypass by Primary Weakness) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-37085? It affects 2 products. Products: Vmware Cloud Foundation, Vmware Esxi. ## How do I fix CVE-2024-37085? No fix has been published for CVE-2024-37085 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 20 Aug 2024. ## Is CVE-2024-37085 being exploited? Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-37085 in the wild since at least 30 Jul 2024, including in ransomware campaigns. Public exploit code: - Vulnerability Scanner for CVE-2024-37085 and Exploits ( For Educational Purpose only) (github_poc): https://github.com/mahmutaymahmutay/CVE-2024-37085 - CVE-2024-37085 unauthenticated shell upload to full administrator on domain-joined esxi hypervisors. (github_poc): https://github.com/WTN-arny/Vmware-ESXI - https://github.com/WTN-arny/CVE-2024-37085 (github_poc): https://github.com/WTN-arny/CVE-2024-37085 ## 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-2024-37085 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-37085 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 25 Jun 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link. Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-37085 in the wild since at least 30 Jul 2024, including in ransomware campaigns. 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-2024-37085/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37085/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-37085 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-37085 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-37085 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37085/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.