CVE-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 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).

Affected

VMware vCenter Server · VMware Cloud Foundation

CVSS v3.1 NVD

9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v2.0 NVD

10.0 HIGHAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

EPSS

99.87% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, 100th percentile

CISA KEV

added 2021-11-03, used in ransomware campaigns

Nuclei

critical · CWE-22

Published

2021-02-24

Updated

2026-08-12

Proof-of-concept exploits (36)

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161590/VMware-vCenter-Server-7.0-Arbitrary-File-Uplo…
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/161695/VMware-vCenter-Server-File-Upload-Remote-Code…
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163268/VMware-vCenter-6.5-6.7-7.0-Remote-Code-Execut…
• B1anda0/CVE-2021-2197211★ · 2021-02-25
• ByZain/CVE-2021-219723★ · 2021-03-04
• DougCarroll/CVE_2021_219720★ · 2021-02-28
• GuayoyoCyber/CVE-2021-2197229★ · 2021-03-03
• L-pin/CVE-2021-219721★ · 2021-02-26
• Ma1Dong/vcenter_rce11★ · 2021-03-01
• NS-Sp4ce/CVE-2021-21972497★ · 2023-06-08
• QmF0c3UK/CVE-2021-21972-vCenter-6.5-7.0-RCE-POC136★ · 2021-03-01
• TAI-REx/CVE-2021-219720★ · 2021-02-25
• TaroballzChen/CVE-2021-2197219★ · 2021-03-07
• Vulnmachines/VmWare-vCenter-vulnerability8★ · 2022-07-26
• byteofandri/CVE-2021-2197211★ · 2022-03-07
• byteofjoshua/CVE-2021-2197211★ · 2022-03-07
• conjojo/VMware_vCenter_UNAuthorized_RCE_CVE-2021-2197228★ · 2021-02-25
• d3sh1n/cve-2021-219720★ · 2021-03-11
• haiclover/CVE-2021-219723★ · 2021-08-02
• haidv35/CVE-2021-219723★ · 2021-08-02
• horizon3ai/CVE-2021-21972270★ · 2021-02-25
• milo2012/CVE-2021-2197233★ · 2021-03-01
• murataydemir/CVE-2021-219726★ · 2021-04-06
• orangmuda/CVE-2021-2197211★ · 2022-03-07
• pettyhacks/vSphereyeeter3★ · 2022-07-21
• renini/CVE-2021-219722★ · 2021-02-25
• robwillisinfo/VMware_vCenter_CVE-2021-219721★ · 2021-02-27
• saucer-man/exploit11★ · 2021-07-09
• stevenp322/cve-2021-219720★ · 2021-08-27
• stevenp322/vSphereYeeter0★ · 2021-08-27
• vikerup/Get-vSphereVersion2★ · 2023-04-27
• viksafe/Get-vSphereVersion2★ · 2023-04-27
• yaunsky/CVE-2021-219728★ · 2021-02-24
• zidanfanshao/vcenter_tools70★ · 2024-11-17
• alt3kx/CVE-2021-2197254★ · 2021-02-25
• tijldeneut/Security157★ · 2026-09-28

Nuclei templates (1)

• projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-21972.yaml

Metasploit modules (1)

• rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/vmware_vcenter_upload…

ExploitDB entries (2)

• https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50056
• https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/49602

Exploit collections (5)

• vmware-vcenter-unauthorized-rce-cve-2021-21972.ymlchaitin/xray
• CVE-2021-21972helloexp/0day
• CVE-2021-21972helloexp/0day
• VMware vCenter Server 远程执行代码漏洞 (CVE-2021-21972).mdtzwlhack/Vulnerability
• CVE-2021-21972.yamlzan8in/afrog

Security advisories

• https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0002.html

References

• CVE Record
• NVD entry

Related

• CVE-2018-13379
• CVE-2020-10148
• CVE-2020-14883
• CVE-2020-17519
• CVE-2020-8209
• CVE-2021-3019