# CVE-2024-38813: VMware vCenter Server Privilege Escalation

> A malicious actor with network access can escalate privileges to root on vCenter Server by sending a specially crafted network packet.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 20 Nov 2024 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-66vj-hxh5-x3jh

## What is CVE-2024-38813?

CVE-2024-38813 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 17 Sep 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The vCenter Server contains a privilege escalation vulnerability. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger this vulnerability to escalate privileges to root by sending a specially crafted network packet.

Weakness: CWE-273 (Improper Check for Dropped Privileges), CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38813?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Cloud Foundation, Vmware Vcenter Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38813?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-38813 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 11 Dec 2024.

## Is CVE-2024-38813 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-38813 in the wild since at least 20 Nov 2024.

## 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-2024-38813 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38813 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation, published on 17 Sep 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2024-38813 in the wild since at least 20 Nov 2024.

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-2024-38813/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38813/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38813
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38813
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38813

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38813/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.