{"id":"CVE-2021-21985","title":"The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in which is enabled by default in vCenter Server","summary":"The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in which is enabled by default in vCenter Server. A malicious actor with network access to por…","severity":"critical","cvss":9.8,"cvssVector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cwe":["CWE-918","CWE-20","CWE-470","CWE-918"],"vendor":"vmware","product":"vcenter_server","affected":["vcenter_server = 6.5","vcenter_server = 6.7","vcenter_server = 7.0","cloud_foundation >= 3.0, < 3.10.2.1","cloud_foundation >= 4.0, < 4.2.1"],"patched":["cloud_foundation 4.2.1"],"published":"2021-05-26","updated":"2026-08-12","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21985","references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162812/VMware-Security-Advisory-2021-0010.html","label":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163487/VMware-vCenter-Server-Virtual-SAN-Health-Check-Remote-Code-Execution.html","label":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0010.html","label":"security@vmware.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162812/VMware-Security-Advisory-2021-0010.html","label":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163487/VMware-vCenter-Server-Virtual-SAN-Health-Check-Remote-Code-Execution.html","label":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2021-0010.html","label":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-21985","label":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"}],"tags":["nvd","kev","in-the-wild","exploit-available"],"epss":0.99999,"epssPercentile":0.99993,"kev":true,"kevDateAdded":"2021-11-03","kevDueDate":"2021-11-17","kevRansomware":true,"exploited":true,"ingestedAt":"2026-08-12T19:54:26.018Z","exploits":{"github":10,"githubRepos":["https://github.com/bigbroke/CVE-2021-21985","https://github.com/alt3kx/CVE-2021-21985_PoC","https://github.com/onSec-fr/CVE-2021-21985-Checker"],"metasploit":["exploit/linux/http/vmware_vcenter_vsan_health_rce"],"nuclei":["CVE-2021-21985"],"checkedAt":"2026-09-19T16:22:51.215Z"},"exploitAvailable":true,"slug":"CVE-2021-21985","body":"## Overview\n\nThe vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plug-in which is enabled by default in vCenter Server. 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.\n\n## Affected\n\n- `vcenter_server = 6.5`\n- `vcenter_server = 6.7`\n- `vcenter_server = 7.0`\n- `cloud_foundation >= 3.0, < 3.10.2.1`\n- `cloud_foundation >= 4.0, < 4.2.1`\n\n## Remediation\n\nUpgrade past the affected range:\n\n- `cloud_foundation 4.2.1`","depth":"hadal","depthScore":100,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":53.9,"likelihood":20,"exploitation":25,"ransomware":5},"changes":[{"seq":4504,"id":"CVE-2021-21985","ts":1788887186033,"field":"exploit_available","old":"false","new":"true"},{"seq":3387,"id":"CVE-2021-21985","ts":1788886303756,"field":"exploit_available","old":"true","new":"false"},{"seq":2242,"id":"CVE-2021-21985","ts":1788882973384,"field":"exploit_available","old":"false","new":"true"},{"seq":1271,"id":"CVE-2021-21985","ts":1788882385046,"field":"exploit_available","old":"true","new":"false"},{"seq":385,"id":"CVE-2021-21985","ts":1788881820386,"field":"exploit_available","old":"false","new":"true"}]}