Cyber Resilience

CVE-2022-22948

Vmware Vcenter Server 6.5 … 7.0

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD Exploited
Published
29 March 2022
Modified
31 October 2025
KEV Added
17 July 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.14 96th percentile
Risk Priority 76 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2022-22948 is a medium-severity Incorrect Default Permissions (CWE-276) vulnerability in Vmware Vcenter Server. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Services File Permissions Weakness (T1574.010); ranked in the top 4% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vCenter Server contains an information disclosure vulnerability due to improper permission of files. This affects VMware vCenter Server and is tracked as CVE-2022-22948 with a CVSS score of 6.5 under CWE-276.

A malicious actor with non-administrative network access to the vCenter Server may exploit the flaw to obtain sensitive information without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability allows low-privileged attackers to read files that should be restricted to administrative users.

VMware published advisory VMSA-2022-0009 to address the issue, and the CVE appears in CISA's catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities. The EPSS score rose from a low baseline to a peak of 0.4933, indicating that exploitation interest increased after public disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The vCenter Server contains an information disclosure vulnerability due to improper permission of files. A malicious actor with non-administrative access to the vCenter Server may exploit this issue to gain access to sensitive information.

CWE(s)
CWE-276
KEV Date Added
17 July 2024

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.010 Services File Permissions Weakness Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the binaries used by services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1543 Create or Modify System Process Persistence
Adversaries may create or modify system-level processes to repeatedly execute malicious payloads as part of persistence.
attack.mitre.org →
T1554 Compromise Host Software Binary Persistence
Adversaries may modify host software binaries to establish persistent access to systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the way operating systems run programs.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-38813Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2021-21973Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2024-38812Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2021-21972Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2024-37079Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2021-21985Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2021-22005Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundationboth on KEV
CVE-2024-37087Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundation
CVE-2024-22274Same product: Vmware Cloud Foundation
CVE-2020-3952Same product: Vmware Vcenter Serverboth on KEV

Affected Assets

vmware
cloud foundation
3.0 — 3.11 · 4.0 — 4.4.1
vmware
vcenter server
6.5, 6.7, 7.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 11 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

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Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

AC-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Access control policy can specify and enforce secure default permissions for resources.

AC-6 Least Privilege
addresses: CWE-276

Guides setting of default permissions to the minimum required level.

CM-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Establishes requirements for appropriate default permissions on system resources as part of configuration management.

CM-2 Baseline Configuration
addresses: CWE-276

Baseline establishment and updates on install/upgrade ensure correct default permissions rather than insecure ones.

CM-6 Configuration Settings
addresses: CWE-276

Requiring the most restrictive settings instead of defaults prevents incorrect default permissions on resources.

CM-9 Configuration Management Plan
addresses: CWE-276

Requires documented processes that include setting and maintaining correct default permissions for configuration items.

PE-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Requires addressing secure default permissions in physical and environmental protection controls.

PL-11 Baseline Tailoring
addresses: CWE-276

Tailoring explicitly overrides or scopes default permission assignments in the baseline to match the system's actual risk and operational needs.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 full match
prevents

Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Defining and enforcing least-privilege access permissions directly prevents overly permissive defaults at install time.

ID.AM-08 partial match
prevents

Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.

PR.PS-06 partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices include establishing secure defaults, but address only the development-phase portion of the weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.9 Configuration management mostly match
prevents

Standard templates that restrict access to utility programs and host parameter settings prevent the assignment of overly permissive default permissions on critical resources.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Windows Server 2016 (2 rules)
  • V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-224834 Permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
  • V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2022 (2 rules)
  • V-254252 Windows Server 2022 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-254253 Windows Server 2022 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276

References