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Vcenter ServerApplication · VMware

CVE-2015-2342

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-10-12
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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
The JMX RMI service in VMware vCenter Server 5.0 before u3e, 5.1 before u3b, 5.5 before u3, and 6.0 before u1 does not restrict registration of MBeans, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the RMI protocol.

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

The JMX RMI service in VMware vCenter Server versions 5.0 before u3e, 5.1 before u3b, 5.5 before u3, and 6.0 before u1 lacks proper restrictions on MBean registration. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to register arbitrary MBeans via the RMI protocol, leading to remote code execution with system privileges.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied updates (u3e for 5.0, u3b for 5.1, u3 for 5.5, u1 for 6.0) to patch the JMX RMI service. If patching is not immediately feasible, consider disabling the JMX RMI service or restricting network access to the RMI port.

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:= 5.0= 5.1= 5.5= 6.0

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 installed vCenter Server version
    Log into the vSphere Web Client or vSphere Client and navigate to the About page (Help > About) to view the version number, or check the installed software programs on the vCenter Server system.
    Affected if The version is 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, or 6.0 without the corresponding update patch (u3e for 5.0, u3b for 5.1, u3 for 5.5, u1 for 6.0). Compare your version against these fixed updates.
  2. Verify JMX RMI service status
    Access the Managed Object Browser (MOB) at https://<vcenter-host>/mob and navigate to ServiceInstance > content > serviceManagement > managedObjectReferences to look for JMX RMI related MBeans, or check the vCenter Server services via the vSphere Client (Host > Actions > Services > Manage Services).
    Affected if The JMX RMI service is running or enabled. If the service is stopped or disabled, the attack surface may be reduced.
  3. Check for exposed RMI ports
    Run a network port scan or use netstat on the vCenter Server to identify open ports in the RMI/JMX range (typically port 1099 and dynamic RMI ports), and verify whether these ports are accessible from untrusted networks.
    Affected if Port 1099 (RMI Registry) or other JMX RMI ports are listening and reachable from untrusted network segments.

You are affected if your vCenter Server version is 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, or 6.0 without the respective update patch AND the JMX RMI service is enabled and accessible on the network.

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
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch www.vmware.com →
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied updates (u3e for 5.0, u3b for 5.1, u3 for 5.5, u1 for 6.0) to patch the JMX RMI service. If patching is not immediately feasible, consider disabling the JMX RMI service or restricting network access to the RMI port.

Recommended fix High confidence

vCenter Server 5.0 Update 3e, 5.1 Update 3b, 5.5 Update 3, or 6.0 Update 1 (or migrate to a currently supported version)

  1. 1. Back up the vCenter Server configuration and database before starting the upgrade.
  2. 2. Review the VMSA-2015-0007 advisory at http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2015-0007.html for detailed upgrade instructions.
  3. 3. Download the appropriate patched update from VMware's download portal: vCenter Server 5.0 Update 3e, 5.1 Update 3b, 5.5 Update 3, or 6.0 Update 1.
  4. 4. Apply the update by following VMware's standard vCenter Server update/upgrade procedures.
  5. 5. Verify the JMX RMI service is running correctly after the upgrade.
  6. 6. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by reviewing the vCenter Server version and build number.
Caveat vCenter Server 5.x has reached end of support; consider upgrading to a currently supported version (7.0 or 8.0) for long-term stability

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

Fix this in Vcenter Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,280
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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-2015-2342 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data