CVE-2022-22982 in vCenter Server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2022
The vCenter Server contains a server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability. A malicious actor with network access to 443 on the vCenter Server may exploit this issue by accessing a URL request outside of vCenter Server or accessing an internal service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2022
The CVE-2022-22982 vulnerability represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw within VMware's vCenter Server platform, which serves as the central management interface for VMware vSphere environments. This vulnerability resides in the server-side processing logic that handles HTTP requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior by injecting arbitrary URLs into requests. The flaw specifically affects the vCenter Server's ability to properly validate and sanitize external URL references, allowing unauthorized access to internal network resources that should remain isolated from external networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper URL handling within the vCenter Server's web application layer. When the server processes incoming requests containing URL parameters or references, it fails to adequately verify that these references originate from trusted sources or remain within the intended network boundaries. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious requests that force the server to make connections to internal services, bypassing normal network segmentation controls and potentially accessing sensitive internal systems such as databases, management interfaces, or other privileged services running within the same network infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the server-side processing level, meaning that even if network firewalls or access controls are properly configured, the application itself can be coerced into performing unauthorized network operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-22982 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities, escalate privileges, and potentially compromise entire virtualized environments. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to internal network services that are typically protected by network segmentation, including but not limited to database servers, LDAP directories, or other management interfaces that contain sensitive configuration data, user credentials, or virtual machine information. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-918, which describes server-side request forgery vulnerabilities where applications fail to properly validate external references, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol tunneling. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where vCenter Server acts as a central management point for hundreds or thousands of virtual machines, as compromise of this single point can lead to widespread system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network-level restrictions to block external access to the vCenter Server's management interface, particularly on port 443, and ensure that all vCenter Server instances are updated with the latest security patches provided by VMware. Additional protective measures include implementing strict network segmentation, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter requests, and conducting thorough network access reviews to identify any unnecessary external exposure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in application design, as it highlights how a single flaw in URL handling can undermine entire security architectures. Security teams should also monitor for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive logging of all vCenter Server activities to facilitate incident response efforts.