CVE-2005-4583 in ESX Server
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Management Interface in VMware ESX Server 2.x up to 2.5.x before 24 December 2005 allows "remote code execution in the Web browser" via unspecified attack vectors, probably related to cross-site scripting (XSS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4583 represents a critical security flaw within VMware ESX Server 2.x versions up to 2.5.x, specifically affecting the Management Interface component. This issue emerged during a period when virtualization technologies were rapidly gaining adoption in enterprise environments, making the potential attack surface particularly significant. The vulnerability was disclosed in December 2005, prior to the final patch release, leaving systems exposed to potential exploitation. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways could have been exploited, though the primary concern centered around cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that could enable remote code execution within web browsers.
The technical flaw manifests through weaknesses in the web-based management interface of VMware ESX Server, where insufficient input validation and output sanitization allowed malicious actors to inject malicious code into web pages viewed by administrators or other users. This cross-site scripting vulnerability could potentially be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the victim's browser session, effectively compromising the administrative interface access. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution vector indicates that attackers could potentially gain full administrative control over the ESX Server without requiring local access or authentication credentials. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a classic example of how web interface flaws can escalate to system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was substantial for organizations utilizing VMware ESX Server in their infrastructure, as it created a pathway for attackers to potentially take complete control of virtualization platforms. Administrators who accessed the management interface using web browsers became susceptible to attacks that could lead to unauthorized access to virtual machines, modification of system configurations, and potential data breaches. The remote nature of the exploit meant that attackers could leverage this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet, significantly expanding the attack surface beyond traditional network boundaries. Organizations running multiple ESX Server instances faced compounded risk, as a successful exploitation in one environment could potentially be used as a foothold for lateral movement across their virtualized infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4583 centered primarily on immediate patch deployment, as VMware released updates specifically addressing this vulnerability in their December 2005 security bulletin. Organizations were advised to upgrade to ESX Server 2.5.x versions that included the necessary security fixes, which typically involved enhanced input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components. Network segmentation and access controls were recommended as additional protective measures, including restricting access to the management interface to trusted administrative networks and implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining current security patches for virtualization platforms and demonstrated how seemingly isolated web interface flaws could have cascading effects on overall system security. This incident reinforced industry best practices for securing management interfaces and underscored the critical need for regular security assessments of virtualization environments, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through web shell and T1190 for exploitation of web applications.