dbcve.org
EsxOperating system · VMware

CVE-2006-2481

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2006-07-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
VMware ESX Server 2.0.x before 2.0.2 and 2.x before 2.5.2 patch 4 stores authentication credentials in base 64 encoded format in the vmware.mui.kid and vmware.mui.sid cookies, which allows attackers to gain privileges by obtaining the cookies using attacks such as cross-site scripting (CVE-2005-3619).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

VMware ESX Server 2.0.x and 2.x stores authentication credentials in base64 encoded format in the vmware.mui.kid and vmware.mui.sid cookies. Since base64 is encoding (easily reversible) rather than encryption, attackers who obtain these cookies through cross-site scripting (XSS) or similar cookie theft attacks can decode the credentials and gain unauthorized privileges.

MitigationUpgrade VMware ESX Server to version 2.0.2 or later, or 2.5.2 patch 4 or later. Additionally, address the underlying XSS vulnerability (CVE-2005-3619) to prevent cookie theft, and implement proper secure session management with encrypted credential storage instead of base64 encoding.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
EsxOperating system
Affected:= 2.0= 2.0.1= 2.1= 2.1.1= 2.1.2= 2.5= 2.5.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify VMware ESX Server version
    Run 'vmware -v' or check the ESX server console for the version banner at boot, or check /etc/vmware/ directory for version files
    Affected if The installed version matches 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.5, or 2.5.2 exactly
  2. Verify MUI web interface is accessible
    Attempt to access the VMware Management User Interface via browser at the ESX host's IP address on typical MUI ports (443, 8333) or check if the MUI service is running using 'service mgmt-vmware status' or similar service commands
    Affected if The MUI web interface responds and accepts authentication
  3. Inspect cookie storage for base64-encoded credentials
    After authenticating to the MUI interface, examine browser cookies or intercept HTTP responses to locate cookies named 'vmware.mui.kid' and 'vmware.mui.sid'. If present, decode them using any base64 decoder to verify they contain readable credential data
    Affected if Cookies named vmware.mui.kid or vmware.mui.sid exist and decode to readable username/password pairs instead of encrypted tokens
  4. Check for credential handling in MUI configuration
    Examine MUI configuration files in /etc/vmware/mui/ or the VMware ESX service configuration for how session credentials are stored and transmitted
    Affected if Configuration shows credentials are stored in base64 format rather than using encrypted session tokens

You are affected if running any of the listed versions (2.0.x or 2.5.x) AND the MUI web interface is accessible with cookies storing base64-encoded credentials.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade VMware ESX Server to version 2.0.2 or later, or 2.5.2 patch 4 or later. Additionally, address the underlying XSS vulnerability (CVE-2005-3619) to prevent cookie theft, and implement proper secure session management with encrypted credential storage instead of base64 encoding.

Fix this in Esx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-2481 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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