vCenter directory-traversal vulnerability
VMware vCenter contains a directory traversal vulnerability in the Syslog server. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter may exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code.
- Published
- Jul 30, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 12, 2026
- EPSS
- 2.6% · 85th percentile▼ 47
- CWE
- CWE-22
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Report tools
Action score
70
This week
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 1 / 30 · 2.6%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · vmware
- 9.8
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Aug 18, 2026. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for government agencies: Aug 21, 2026.
Known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| vmware | vcenter server | cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server |
| vmware | telco cloud infrastructure | cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_infrastructure |
| vmware | telco cloud platform | cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform |
| vmware | cloud foundation | cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation |
| vmware | vsphere foundation | cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vsphere_foundation |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- vmware vcenter serverbefore 8.0
- vmware vcenter server9.0 and later · before 9.0.2.0100
- vmware vcenter server9.1 and later · before 9.1.0.0300
- vmware vcenter server8.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (vmware). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
VMware Cloud Foundation
- 9.1.x.x, 9.0.x.x, 5.xaffected
VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure
- 3.0affected
VMware Telco Cloud Platform
- 5.1.x, 5.0.x, 4.x, 3.0affected
VMware vCenter
- 9.1.x.x and later · before 9.1.0.0300affected
- 9.0.x.x and later · before 9.0.2.0100affected
- 8.0 and later · before 8.0 U3kaffected
VMware vSphere Foundation
- 9.1.x.x, 9.0.x.xaffected
Same product
vmware: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2023-34048VMware vCenter Server Out-of-Bounds Write VulnerabilityKEV99Now
- CVE-2021-21985The vSphere Client (HTML5) contains a remote code execution vulnerability due to lack of input validation in the Virtual SAN Health Check plKEV99Now
- CVE-2020-3952Under certain conditions, vmdir that ships with VMware vCenter Server, as part of an embedded or external Platform Services Controller (PSC)KEV96Now
- CVE-2015-2342The JMX RMI service in VMware vCenter Server 5.0 before u3e, 5.1 before u3b, 5.5 before u3, and 6.0 before u1 does not restrict registration67This week
- CVE-2021-22017Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization.KEV66This week
- CVE-2023-20894The VMware vCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol.49Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×3
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2026-08-17 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2026-08-17 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2026-09-25 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Published
- First PoC+18 d
- CISA KEV+19 d
- TodaySep 29, 2026+62 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-secondary
Root cause
A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-22 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);res.sendFile(file);Fixed
const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) { return res.sendStatus(400);}res.sendFile(file);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Path TraversalCAPEC-126likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Slashes and URL Encoding Combined to Bypass Validation LogicCAPEC-64likelihood: High · High
- Manipulating Web Input to File System CallsCAPEC-76likelihood: High · Very High
- Using Escaped Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-78likelihood: High · High
- Using Slashes in Alternate EncodingCAPEC-79likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/38017
- medium.com/@quirso_de/active-exploitation-of-cve-2026-59310-361-victim-ips-across-47-countries-9783187cc6ff
- medium.com/@quirso_de/global-exploitation-of-cve-2026-59310-by-suspected-chinese-nexus-apt-related-cve-2026-59309-443a79e1466d
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-59310
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.