{"id":"CVE-2021-21972","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2021-21972","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T15:09:26.727Z","title":"VMware vCenter Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","description":"The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 may exploit this issue to execute commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system that hosts vCenter Server. This affects VMware vCenter Server (7.x before 7.0 U1c, 6.7 before 6.7 U3l and 6.5 before 6.5 U3n) and VMware Cloud Foundation (4.x before 4.2 and 3.x before 3.10.1.2).","published":"2021-02-24T17:15:16.000Z","lastModified":"2026-08-12T05:17:35.000Z","status":"Analyzed","sourceIdentifier":"security@vmware.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":9.8,"severity":"CRITICAL","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-22"],"affected":["vmware/cloud foundation","vmware/vcenter server"],"epss":{"score":0.99865,"percentile":0.99962,"date":"2026-10-30","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":true,"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2021-11-17","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Known","notes":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21972"},"exploits":{"count":2,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2021-03-01","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":50056,"kind":"exploit","title":"VMware vCenter Server 7.0 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Unauthenticated)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50056","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/multiple/webapps/50056.py","file":"exploits/multiple/webapps/50056.py","published":"2021-06-24","added":"2021-06-24","updated":"2021-10-28","author":"CHackA0101","type":"webapps","platform":"multiple","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2021-21972"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null},{"edbId":49602,"kind":"exploit","title":"VMware vCenter Server 7.0 - Unauthenticated File Upload","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49602","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/multiple/webapps/49602.py","file":"exploits/multiple/webapps/49602.py","published":"2021-03-01","added":"2021-03-01","updated":"2021-03-01","author":"Photubias","type":"webapps","platform":"multiple","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2021-21972"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 17 November 2021). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-File-Upload.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-File-Upload.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html","tags":["Vendor Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-21972","tags":["US Government Resource"],"source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21972","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}