November 18, 2024 at 01:31PM
VMware’s critical CVE-2024-38812 vulnerability in vCenter Server has been exploited in the wild, prompting urgent updates from the company. Initially reported at a Chinese hacking contest, the flaw allows remote code execution. Past patches failed to fully resolve the issue, emphasizing the need for customers to apply fixes urgently.
Here are the key takeaways from the meeting notes regarding the VMWare vCenter Server vulnerability:
1. **Exploitation Detected**: VMware confirmed that the critical vulnerability CVE-2024-38812 is being actively exploited in the wild.
2. **Severity and Public Disclosure**: This vulnerability, first revealed at a hacking contest five months ago, has a high CVSS severity score of 9.8/10, highlighting its critical nature.
3. **Urgent Updates Issued**: VMware released an urgent update to bulletin VMSA-2024-0019, urging customers to prioritize the deployment of available fixes due to confirmed exploitation.
4. **Patch Issues**: Earlier patches released on September 17, 2024, did not fully resolve the vulnerabilities associated with CVE-2024-38812 and CVE-2024-38813.
5. **Technical Details**: The vulnerability is identified as a heap overflow in the DCERPC protocol implementation within vCenter Server, allowing remote code execution if triggered by a malicious actor with network access.
6. **Call for Action**: VMware has not provided additional details regarding exploitation or indicators of compromise (IOCs), but customers are advised to act promptly to mitigate risks.
7. **Background Context**: The vulnerability is linked to prior incidents where it was previously exhibited at a Chinese hacking contest, reflecting ongoing security challenges for VMware.
These points underscore the urgency for VMware customers to address the vulnerability to protect their systems from potential exploitation.