VMware ESXi Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
n/a — VMware ESXi
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.
6.8
26.8%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Published
- Jun 25, 2024
- Modified
- Jun 17, 2026
- Added to KEV
- Jul 30, 2024
- Federal patch due
- Aug 20, 2024
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Affected packages
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
3 foundWeaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2024-37085, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
- mahmutaymahmutay/CVE-2024-37085★ 2
Vulnerability Scanner for CVE-2024-37085 and Exploits ( For Educational Purpose only)
updated Aug 22, 2025
- WTN-arny/CVE-2024-37085★ 0
updated Aug 18, 2024
- WTN-arny/Vmware-ESXI★ 0
CVE-2024-37085 unauthenticated shell upload to full administrator on domain-joined esxi hypervisors.
updated Aug 12, 2024
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2024-37085?
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.
How severe is CVE-2024-37085?
CVE-2024-37085 has a CVSS base score of 6.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2024-37085 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2024-37085 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Jul 30, 2024, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation. It is also flagged as used in ransomware campaigns.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2024-37085?
26.8% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 26.8% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (98% percentile among all scored CVEs).
Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2024-37085?
We found 3 public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2024-37085, though none matched a known Nuclei template or Metasploit module at last check. Review each one before relying on it - see the proof-of-concept section above.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-37085?
CVE-2024-37085 is classified under CWE-287, CWE-305.
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2024-37085 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
Join the waitlist