CVE-2015-6932 in vCenter Server
Summary
by MITRE
VMware vCenter Server 5.5 before u3 and 6.0 before u1 does not verify X.509 certificates from TLS LDAP servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6932 represents a critical security flaw in VMware vCenter Server versions prior to specific patches. This issue affects both vCenter Server 5.5 before update 3 and vCenter Server 6.0 before update 1, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on these platforms for virtual infrastructure management. The flaw resides in the certificate verification process for TLS connections to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol servers, which are commonly used for user authentication and directory services within enterprise environments.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient X.509 certificate validation within the vCenter Server's LDAP over TLS implementation. When vCenter Server establishes secure connections to LDAP servers using Transport Layer Security, it fails to properly validate the server certificates presented during the TLS handshake process. This validation failure occurs because the system does not perform certificate chain verification or hostname checking against the expected server identity. As a result, attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting maliciously crafted certificates that appear to be from legitimate LDAP servers, thereby bypassing the intended security controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-6932 is severe and multifaceted, particularly within enterprise environments where vCenter Server serves as the central management platform for virtualized infrastructure. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can successfully perform man-in-the-middle attacks against LDAP communication channels, potentially gaining access to sensitive authentication credentials, user identities, and privileged information stored in directory services. This compromise can lead to unauthorized access to virtual machines, hypervisor management interfaces, and other critical infrastructure components. The vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model that security-conscious organizations rely upon for secure authentication processes, potentially enabling attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within the network environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant VMware patches for vCenter Server 5.5 update 3 and vCenter Server 6.0 update 1. Additionally, security administrators should consider implementing network-level controls such as certificate pinning for LDAP servers, enhanced monitoring of LDAP connection attempts, and regular certificate audits of directory services. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials from password storage, as it enables unauthorized access to authentication credentials through compromised LDAP connections. Organizations should also review their certificate management policies and ensure that all TLS connections to directory services properly validate certificate chains and hostnames to prevent similar issues in the future.