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Vcenter ServerApplication · VMware

CVE-2015-6932

MEDIUM · 5.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-09-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
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 vCenter Server 5.5 before u3 and 6.0 before u1 does not verify X.509 certificates from TLS LDAP servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.

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 vCenter Server versions 5.5 before update 3 and 6.0 before update 1 fail to validate X.509 certificates when establishing TLS connections to external LDAP servers. This allows an attacker positioned network-wise to intercept LDAP traffic by presenting a forged certificate, potentially exposing authentication credentials and sensitive directory queries.

MitigationUpgrade vCenter Server to version 5.5 u3 or 6.0 u1 or later, which implements proper X.509 certificate validation for TLS LDAP connections. Alternatively, ensure LDAP over TLS is disabled if not required until patching can be completed.

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:= 5.5= 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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/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 vCenter Server version
    Log into the vSphere Web Client or vCenter Server Appliance administration interface and navigate to About > vCenter Server to view the exact version and build number. Alternatively, run the command 'vpxd -v' on the vCenter server to retrieve version information.
    Affected if The installed version is 5.5.x (before update 3) or 6.0.x (before update 1)
  2. Check if external LDAP is configured
    In the vSphere Web Client, navigate to Administration > Single Sign On > Configuration > Identity Sources. Review whether an external Active Directory or LDAP directory is configured as an identity source.
    Affected if An external LDAP or Active Directory identity source is configured
  3. Verify LDAP over TLS status
    In the vCenter Server, examine the LDAP directory service configuration. For vCenter Server Appliance, check the directory.ldap.repository settings via the Managed Object Browser (https://vcenter-ip/mob) or through the vmdir ldapsearch command. Look for LDAPS port 636 or StartTLS configuration.
    Affected if LDAP over TLS (LDAPS on port 636 or StartTLS) is enabled for the external directory connection
  4. Confirm network exposure
    Review network topology to determine if the vCenter Server communicates with external LDAP servers over the network. Check firewall rules and VLAN segmentation for LDAP traffic (ports 389/636).
    Affected if The vCenter Server communicates with external LDAP servers over an untrusted network segment

You are affected if vCenter Server is version 5.5 before update 3 or 6.0 before update 1, AND LDAP over TLS is enabled to external directory servers that traverse a network path where interception is possible.

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 vCenter Server to version 5.5 u3 or 6.0 u1 or later, which implements proper X.509 certificate validation for TLS LDAP connections. Alternatively, ensure LDAP over TLS is disabled if not required until patching can be completed.

Fix this in Vcenter Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2015-6932 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
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