CVE-2024-37085: VMware ESXi

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

Yes, if you run VMware ESXi. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-07-30, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2024-08-20; treat that as the outer limit, not the target. CISA also lists it as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
EPSS 26.8%, percentile 98: FIRST’s model estimates a 26.8% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
Needs an account (high (admin)). Exposure depends on who can log in.

What it is

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.

CISA’s summary

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 by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.

Weakness type: CWE-305.

Product: VMware ESXi · Assigned by: vmware · Published: 2024-06-25

Affected and fixed versions

Vendor	Product	Affected versions (per CVE record)
n/a	VMware ESXi	8.0 < ESXi80U3-24022510, 7.0
n/a	VMware Cloud Foundation	5.x, 4.x

Severity scores

Scored by	CVSS	Score	Vector
vmware	3.1	6.8 Medium	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`

Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
Attack complexity: low
Privileges required: high (admin)
User interaction: required (a user must click/open something)
Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

CISA KEV: added 2024-07-30; federal due date 2024-08-20. Known ransomware use: Known.
CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 26.77% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.

Timeline

2024-06-25 — CVE record published by vmware
2024-07-30 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
2024-08-20 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
2025-10-21 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.