Vcenter ServerApplication · VMware
CVE-2019-5538
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 · uneditedSensitive information disclosure vulnerability resulting from a lack of certificate validation during the File-Based Backup and Restore operations of VMware vCenter Server Appliance (6.7 before 6.7u3a and 6.5 before 6.5u3d) may allow a malicious actor to intercept sensitive data in transit over SCP. A malicious actor with man-in-the-middle positioning between vCenter Server Appliance and a backup target may be able to intercept sensitive data in transit during File-Based Backup and Restore operations.
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 confidenceVMware vCenter Server Appliance fails to validate SSL/TLS certificates during File-Based Backup and Restore operations using SCP. This allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to intercept sensitive data (including credentials and configuration) transmitted between the vCenter Server Appliance and backup targets by impersonating the backup server or intercepting traffic.
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
= 6.5= 6.7CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed vCenter Server versionAccess the vCenter Server Appliance management interface or use the vpxd -v command to determine the exact version number of the installed vCenter ServerAffected if The installed version is 6.5 or 6.7 (any patch level below u3d for 6.5 or u3a for 6.7)
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Determine if File-Based Backup is configuredCheck the vCenter Server Appliance backup configuration through the management UI or by reviewing backup schedule settingsAffected if File-Based Backup functionality is enabled or scheduled
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Identify backup transfer protocol in useReview the backup configuration to determine whether SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) is selected as the transfer method for backup operationsAffected if SCP is selected as the backup transfer protocol
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Verify backup job execution historyExamine the backup job history or logs to confirm whether any backup operations have been performed using SCPAffected if Any backup jobs have been executed using SCP transport
The environment is affected if the installed vCenter Server is version 6.5 or 6.7 and File-Based Backup operations using SCP have been configured or performed.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade vCenter Server Appliance to version 6.7u3a or 6.5u3d or later. Alternatively, ensure backup operations occur over trusted network segments and consider using isolated backup networks to reduce MITM exposure.
Fix this in Vcenter Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-5538 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-5538 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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