VMware ESXi Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
VMware · ESXi
VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass flaw in its handling of Active Directory-based user management, affecting hosts previously configured to use AD. An attacker who already holds sufficient AD permissions can gain full access to the affected ESXi host by re-creating the configured AD group (ESXi Admins by default) after it has been deleted from AD.
VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. A malicious actor with sufficient Active Directory (AD) permissions can gain full access to an ESXi host that was previously configured to use AD for user management https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 0
- Tactics
- 5/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.How attackers get in
What they do
What can follow
Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 2 months before it was disclosed. Public exploit code (PoC-in-GitHub) appeared 38 days after disclosure.
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidence2 mo before
- Disclosedday 0
- Added to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agrees+35 days
- Public exploit codePoC-in-GitHub+38 days
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
3 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order 3Resource DevelopmentTA0042
This vulnerability is exploited by an adversary who has already exploited an ESXi system and gained access to a valid account. Using this account, the adversary creates a new AD group named "ESXi Admins" that the ESXi Hypervisor grants full admin privileges. Adversary groups such as Storm-0506, Storm-1175, Octo Tempest, and Manatee Tempest have leveraged this vulnerability to deploy ransomware known as Akira and Black Basta onto compromised environments.
Initial AccessTA0001
Privilege EscalationTA0004
Detection
2 rules for this CVE · 87 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
2Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2024-37085 directly.General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Valid AccountsT107856 general rules
- Win Susp Computer Name Containing Samtheadmincriticaltest
- Account Created And Deleted Within A Close Time Framehightest
- Activity From Anonymous IP Addresshightest
- Atypical Travelhightest
- Azure AD Threat Intelligencehightest
- Azure Subscription Permission Elevation Via AuditLogshightest
- External Remote SMB Logon from Public IPhightest
- Impossible Travelhightest
Exploitation for Privilege EscalationT106831 general rules
- Exploiting CVE-2019-1388criticalstable
- Audit CVE Eventcriticaltest
- HackTool - SysmonEOP Executioncriticaltest
- InstallerFileTakeOver LPE CVE-2021-41379 File Create Eventcriticaltest
- Possible Coin Miner CPU Priority Paramcriticaltest
- Potential CVE-2021-41379 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- Potential SystemNightmare Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- Sudo Privilege Escalation CVE-2019-14287 - Builtincriticaltest
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Not named in any threat report yetAlso mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 30, 202629 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX