dbcve.org
Vcenter ServerApplication · VMware

CVE-2013-1405

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-02-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 vCenter Server 4.0 before Update 4b and 4.1 before Update 3a, VMware VirtualCenter 2.5, VMware vSphere Client 4.0 before Update 4b and 4.1 before Update 3a, VMware VI-Client 2.5, VMware ESXi 3.5 through 4.1, and VMware ESX 3.5 through 4.1 do not properly implement the management authentication protocol, which allow remote servers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.

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 · moderate confidence

Vulnerability in the management authentication protocol implementation across VMware vCenter Server, vSphere Client, VI-Client, ESXi, and ESX (versions 3.5-4.1) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause memory corruption leading to denial of service.

MitigationApply VMware security patches: vCenter Server 4.0 Update 4b, 4.1 Update 3a, or upgrade to supported product versions. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure if immediate patching is not feasible.

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
Vcenter ServerApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1
VirtualcenterApplication
Affected:= 2.5
Vsphere ClientApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1
Vi ClientApplication
Affected:= 2.5
EsxiOperating system
Affected:= 3.5= 4.0= 4.1
EsxOperating system
Affected:= 3.5= 4.0= 4.1

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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

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

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 vCenter Server version
    In the vSphere Client, go to Home > Administration > System Configuration, or check the Windows Programs and Features for 'VMware VirtualCenter' version. Alternatively, in the vSphere Client go to Help > About VMware vSphere Client to see the vCenter Server version.
    Affected if The installed version equals 4.0, 4.1, or 2.5
  2. Identify ESXi host version
    Run 'vmware -v' from the ESXi host console or the esxcli command: esxcli system version get. Also available in the vSphere Client under Host > Summary > General information.
    Affected if The installed version equals 3.5, 4.0, or 4.1
  3. Identify ESX version
    Run 'vmware -v' from the service console or check /etc/vmware/version on the ESX host.
    Affected if The installed version equals 3.5, 4.0, or 4.1
  4. Identify vSphere Client version
    Check the installed version from the Windows Programs and Features list for 'VMware vSphere Client' or from Help > About in the client interface.
    Affected if The installed version equals 4.0 or 4.1
  5. Check if management interfaces are network-accessible
    Verify that the vCenter Server, ESXi, or ESX management ports (443, 443, 902) are exposed to network segments beyond the trusted management network. Review firewall rules and network segmentation configurations.
    Affected if Management interfaces are accessible from untrusted networks and the product version matches the affected versions listed

The environment is affected if any VMware vCenter Server, vSphere Client, VI-Client, ESXi, or ESX installation matches versions 2.5, 3.5, 4.0, or 4.1 and has management interfaces network-accessible.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply VMware security patches: vCenter Server 4.0 Update 4b, 4.1 Update 3a, or upgrade to supported product versions. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure if immediate patching is not feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

vCenter Server 4.0 -> Update 4b; vCenter Server 4.1 -> Update 3a; vSphere Client 4.0 -> Update 4b; vSphere Client 4.1 -> Update 3a; Legacy products (VC 2.5, VI Client 2.5, ESX/ESXi 3.5-4.1) -> migrate to supported modern versions

  1. 1. Identify the exact version of VMware products currently installed (vCenter Server, vSphere Client, ESXi, or ESX)
  2. 2. For vCenter Server 4.0: upgrade to Update 4b
  3. 3. For vCenter Server 4.1: upgrade to Update 3a
  4. 4. For vSphere Client 4.0: upgrade to Update 4b
  5. 5. For vSphere Client 4.1: upgrade to Update 3a
  6. 6. For VirtualCenter 2.5: VMware no longer supports this version; migrate to a supported vCenter Server version
  7. 7. For VI Client 2.5: This is bundled with VirtualCenter 2.5; upgrading VirtualCenter addresses this
  8. 8. For ESXi 3.5/4.0/4.1: VMware no longer supports these versions; plan migration to a supported ESXi version (5.x or later)
Caveat Upgrading from legacy ESX to ESXi may require configuration changes; VirtualCenter 2.5 customers need to migrate to modern vCenter Server which may require new infrastructure

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Vcenter Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1405 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2013-1405 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data