CVE-2024-37085
MEDIUMCISA KEVEPSS 98th pctlDescription
VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. A malicious actor with sufficient Active Directory (AD) permissions can gain full access to an ESXi host that was previously configured to use AD for user management https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 98% of all known CVEs.
VMware ESXi Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
VMware ESXi contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. A malicious actor with sufficient Active Directory (AD) permissions can gain full access to an ESXi host that was previously configured to use AD for user management by re-creating the configured AD group ('ESXi Admins' by default) after it was deleted from AD.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Remediation due: 2024-08-20
Associated with ransomware campaigns
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2023-35082 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2023-35078 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2017-7921 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2024-7593 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | - |
| CVE-2023-46805 | High | 8.2 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2022-40684 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2024-37085?
Upgrade cloud foundation to 5.2 or later.
Is CVE-2024-37085 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2024-37085 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. CISA has also linked it to known ransomware campaigns. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2024-08-20. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2024-37085?
CVE-2024-37085 has a CVSS v3 base score of 6.8, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2024-37085 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for cloud foundation (NVD). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
Embed a live status badge for CVE-2024-37085
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TridentStack Control continuously scans your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet for known vulnerabilities, prioritizes them by severity and active exploitation, and patches them automatically.
This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-10-30.