CVE-2021-21975 VMware vRealize Operations Manager API: web page flaw
In plain words: A web app can be made to act on someone's behalf or reach places it should not. Stolen sessions, actions taken as the victim, or access to internal systems.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Feb 1, 2022
What to do
- Install VMware's security update for vRealize Operations Manager API. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- VMware Server Side Request Forgery in vRealize Operations Manager API
- Product
- VMware vRealize Operations Manager API
- CISA description
- Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in vRealize Operations Manager API prior to 8.4 may allow a malicious actor with network access to the vRealize Operations Manager API to perform a SSRF attack to steal administrative credentials.
- Type of flaw
- Web page flaw (CWE-918)
- Confirmed exploited
- Jan 18, 2022 — known to be used in ransomware attacks
- US federal patch deadline
- Feb 1, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2021-21975 ·
Questions about CVE-2021-21975
Is CVE-2021-21975 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-21975 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Jan 18, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks, including by ransomware groups.
How do I fix CVE-2021-21975?
Install VMware's security update for vRealize Operations Manager API. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2021-21975?
Only if you use VMware vRealize Operations Manager API. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.