CVE-2021-22017
published 2021-09-23CVE-2021-22017: Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization. A malicious actor with network access to port…
PriorityP180medium5.3CVSS 3.1
AVNACLPRNUINSUCLINAN
KEVITWEXPLOIT
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilitydue 2022-01-24
Exploited in the wild
EPSS
49.18%
98.8th percentile
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to bypass proxy leading to internal endpoints being accessed.
Affected
1 ranges
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| vmware | vcenter_server | — | — |
Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote
urlPOST /analytics/ceip/sdk/..;/..;/..;/analytics/ph/api/dataapp/agent?_c=vSphere.vapi.6_7&_i=9D36C850-1612-4EC4-B8DD-50BA239A25BB
urlPOST /analytics/ceip/sdk/..;/..;/..;/analytics/ph/api/dataapp/agent?action=collect&_c=vSphere.vapi.6_7&_i=9D36C850-1612-4EC4-B8DD-50BA239A25BB
path/analytics/ceip/sdk/..;/..;/..;/analytics/ph/api/dataapp/agent
otherX-Deployment-Secret: secret
- →Detect path traversal bypass attempts against vCenter rhttproxy using '..;/' sequences in the URI path targeting /analytics/ceip/sdk/
- →Successful exploitation of the first stage returns HTTP 201 with an empty body; the second stage returns HTTP 200 with response body containing 'BUILD', 'VERSION', and 'OSTYPE' strings indicating vCenter instance metadata disclosure.
- →Look for the custom header 'X-Deployment-Secret' with value 'secret' in POST requests to vCenter analytics endpoints as an indicator of exploitation attempts.
- →Monitor for POST requests to /analytics/ph/api/dataapp/agent with query parameters action=collect, _c=vSphere.vapi.6_7 as part of the two-stage exploit chain.
- ·The exploit uses a randomized X-Plugin-Type header value (8-char random base string) per request, so this header value cannot be used as a static IOC for detection.
- ·The vulnerability is exploitable without authentication from the network, requiring only access to port 443 on vCenter Server.
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.15.3MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
nvdv2.05.0MEDIUMAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
vulncheck5.3MEDIUM
cisa5.3MEDIUM
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CISA
VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
cisa·2022-01-10·CVSS 5.3
CVE-2021-22017 [MEDIUM] CWE-23 VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
Vulnerability: VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
Affected: VMware vCenter Server
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization.
Required Action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Notes: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22017
Remediation Due Date: 2022-01-24
VMware
VMware vCenter Server updates address multiple security vulnerabilities
vendor_vmware·2021-09-21·CVSS 7.8
CVE-2021-21991 [HIGH] VMware vCenter Server updates address multiple security vulnerabilities
VMSA-2021-0020: VMware vCenter Server updates address multiple security vulnerabilities
The vCenter Server contains an arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the Analytics service. VMware has evaluated the severity of this issue to be in the Critical severity range with a maximum CVSSv3 base score of 9.8.
CVEs: CVE-2021-21991, CVE-2021-21992, CVE-2021-21993, CVE-2021-22005, CVE-2021-22006, CVE-2021-22007, CVE-2021-22008, CVE-2021-22009, CVE-2021-22010, CVE-2021-22011, CVE-2021-22012, CVE-2021-22013, CVE-2021-22014, CVE-2021-22015, CVE-2021-22016, CVE-2021-22017, CVE-2021-22018, CVE-2021-22019, CVE-2021-22020
Affected products: VMware Cloud Foundation, VMware vCenter Server, VMware vSphere
GHSA
GHSA-w46j-w72r-9x98: Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization
ghsa_unreviewed·2022-05-24
CVE-2021-22017 [MEDIUM] GHSA-w46j-w72r-9x98: Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to bypass proxy leading to internal endpoints being accessed.
VulnCheck
VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
vulncheck·2021·CVSS 5.3
CVE-2021-22017 [MEDIUM] CWE-23 VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
VMware vCenter Server Improper Access Control
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization.
Affected: VMware vCenter Server
Required Action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Exploitation References: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json; https://www.greynoise.io/blog/battling-ransomware-one-tag-at-a-time; https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2025/05/08/inside-lockbit-defense-lessons-from-the-leaked-lockbit-negotiations; https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2021-22017
Remediation Due: 2022-01-24
No detection rules found.
Nuclei
vCenter Server - Improper Access Control
nuclei·CVSS 5.3
CVE-2021-22017 [MEDIUM] vCenter Server - Improper Access Control
vCenter Server - Improper Access Control
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to bypass proxy leading to internal endpoints being accessed.
Template:
id: CVE-2021-22017
info:
name: vCenter Server - Improper Access Control
author: daffainfo
severity: medium
description: |
Rhttproxy as used in vCenter Server contains a vulnerability due to improper implementation of URI normalization. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to bypass proxy leading to internal endpoints being accessed.
impact: |
Attackers can bypass proxy restrictions and access internal endpoints, potentia
Qualys
Inside LockBit: Defense Lessons from the Leaked LockBit Negotiations | Qualys
blogs_qualys·2025-05-08
Inside LockBit: Defense Lessons from the Leaked LockBit Negotiations | Qualys
#### Table of Contents
- Who is LockBit? How it Evolved and Operates
- Monero: The Coin of the Realm
- Patch or Mitigate Now: Critical CVEs Exploited by LockBit
- Beyond Traditional Endpoints: Other Compromised Systems
- Initial Access and Deployment
- Conclusion
The LockBit ransomware gang recently suffered a significant data breach. Their dark web affiliate panels were defaced with the message “Don’t do crime CRIME IS BAD xoxo from Prague,” linking to a MySQL database dump. This archive contains a SQL file from LockBit’s affiliate panel database that includes twenty tables, notably including a ‘btc_addresses’ table with 59,975 unique bitcoin addresses and a ‘chats’ table containing over 4,400 victim negotiation messages from December 2024 to the end of April 2025.
This blog post will
Qualys
Inside LockBit: Defense Lessons from the Leaked LockBit Negotiations
blogs_qualys·2025-05-08
Inside LockBit: Defense Lessons from the Leaked LockBit Negotiations
## Table of Contents
Who is LockBit? How it Evolved and Operates
Monero: The Coin of the Realm
Patch or Mitigate Now: Critical CVEs Exploited by LockBit
Beyond Traditional Endpoints: Other Compromised Systems
Initial Access and Deployment
Conclusion
The LockBit ransomware gang recently suffered a significant data breach. Their dark web affiliate panels were defaced with the message “Don’t do crime CRIME IS BAD xoxo from Prague,” linking to a MySQL database dump. This archive contains a SQL file from LockBit’s affiliate panel database that includes twenty tables, notably including a ‘btc_addresses’ table with 59,975 unique bitcoin addresses and a ‘chats’ table containing over 4,400 victim negotiation messages from December 2024 to the end of April 2025.
This blog post will leverage
Tenable
CVE-2021-22005: Critical File Upload Vulnerability in VMware vCenter Server
blogs_tenable·2021-09-22·CVSS 9.8
[CRITICAL] CVE-2021-22005: Critical File Upload Vulnerability in VMware vCenter Server
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Greynoiseio
Malicious Tag Roundup (Sep 14-30, 2021)
blogs_greynoiseio·CVSS 7.8
[HIGH] Malicious Tag Roundup (Sep 14-30, 2021)
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Why GreyNoise
CVE Disclosure Early Warning Get an early warning when traffic spikes indicate a high likelihood of new disclosures
Compromised Asset Detection Fin
2021-09-23
Published
2022-01-10
Added to CISA KEV
Exploited in the wild