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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2021-21972

VMware vCenter Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Published Feb 24, 2021 · catalog updated Aug 11, 2026 · VMware vCenter Server

Patch now

CVE-2021-21972 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2021. Confirm VMware vCenter Server against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Severity
Critical9.8
Known exploitation
CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
99.87%
Remediation
Remediation guidance
Affected products
cpe vmware/cloud foundation · cpe vmware/vcenter server · vendor VMware vCenter Server

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).

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe vmware/cloud foundationversion unspecified
  • cpe vmware/vcenter server6.5
  • vendor VMware vCenter Serverversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2021-21972

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

CVE-2021-21972 is in the CISA known-exploited catalog, due Nov 17, 2021. Confirm VMware vCenter Server against the vendor advisory and apply that fix. The CVSS score does not change the priority.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with vmware/vcenter server 6.5. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-22: Path Traversal; CWE-23. EPSS 99.87%. The CISA KEV listing is the exploitation evidence. A public exploit reference is linked in Sources. That is not the same as confirmed exploitation. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Feb 24, 2021 · Catalog

    Detected

    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 Clou

  2. Nov 3, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Known exploited

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  3. Nov 17, 2021 · CISA KEV

    Remediation due

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

  4. Aug 11, 2026 · Catalog

    Updated

    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 Clou

Sources

  • CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-21972

    VMware vCenter Server vSphere Client contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin which allows an attacker with network access to port 443 to execute commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system.

    cisa.gov
  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2021-21972

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2021-21972

    30-day exploitation probability 99.9%

    first.org
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference49602

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference50056

    Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

    exploit-db.com
  • Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_multi/http/vmware_vcenter_uploadova_rce

    Public module reference (manual). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

    rapid7.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2021-21972

    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 Se

    nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-File-Upload.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Remote-Code-Execution.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Code-Execution.html

    Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

    packetstormsecurity.com
  • VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-21972

    VMware vCenter Server vSphere Client contains a remote code execution vulnerability in a vCenter Server plugin which allows an attacker with network access to port 443 to execute commands with unrestricted privileges on the underlying operating system.

    vulncheck.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.