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CVE-2021-22005 CISA KEV — actively exploited Ransomware-linked

VMware vCenter Server File Upload Vulnerability

n/a — VMware vCenter Server, VMware Cloud Foundation

The vCenter Server contains an arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the Analytics service. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to execute code on vCenter Server by uploading a specially crafted file.

CVSS scoreCritical

9.8

EPSS — exploitation probabilityCritical

100.0%

Vector breakdown

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published
Sep 23, 2021
Modified
Jun 17, 2026
Added to KEV
Nov 3, 2021
Federal patch due
Nov 17, 2021

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Weakness classification

Affected packages

Proof-of-concept & exploitation references

8 found

Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2021-22005, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit — cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.

References

How this class of flaw gets exploited

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-22005?

The vCenter Server contains an arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the Analytics service. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to execute code on vCenter Server by uploading a specially crafted file.

How severe is CVE-2021-22005?

CVE-2021-22005 has a CVSS base score of 9.8 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).

Is CVE-2021-22005 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. CVE-2021-22005 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Nov 3, 2021, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation. It is also flagged as used in ransomware campaigns.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2021-22005?

100.0% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 100.0% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (100% percentile among all scored CVEs).

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2021-22005?

Yes - a public Nuclei template referencing CVE-2021-22005 exist in public repositories we checked. We also found 8 public GitHub repositories referencing this CVE.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2021-22005?

CVE-2021-22005 is classified under CWE-22 (CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')).

Cross-checked against

Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2021-22005 — or flaws like it — are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.