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Cloud FoundationApplication · VMware

CVE-2022-31698

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
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
The vCenter Server contains a denial-of-service vulnerability in the content library service. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 on vCenter Server may exploit this issue to trigger a denial-of-service condition by sending a specially crafted header.

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

vCenter Server contains a denial-of-service vulnerability in the content library service. A malicious actor with network access to port 443 can send a specially crafted HTTP header to trigger a denial-of-service condition, likely causing the service to become unresponsive or crash.

MitigationApply the relevant VMware security patch for CVE-2022-31698 to the vCenter Server. Consider network segmentation or firewall rules to restrict unauthorized access to port 443 from untrusted networks.

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
Cloud FoundationApplication
Affected:= 3.0= 3.0.1= 3.0.1.1= 3.5= 3.5.1= 3.7= 3.7.1= 3.7.2= 3.8= 3.8.1= 3.9= 3.9.1
Vcenter ServerApplication
Affected:= 6.5= 6.7= 7.0

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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 or VMware Cloud Foundation version
    Access the vSphere Client administration interface or use the 'vpxd -v' command line tool to retrieve the installed version. For Cloud Foundation, check the SDDC manager or relevant version documentation.
    Affected if version equals 6.5, 6.7, or 7.0 for vCenter Server; or equals 3.0, 3.0.1, 3.0.1.1, 3.5, 3.5.1, 3.7, 3.7.1, 3.7.2, 3.8, 3.8.1, 3.9, or 3.9.1 for VMware Cloud Foundation
  2. Verify content library service is enabled
    In the vSphere Client, navigate to Administration > Solutions > Content Library, or query the vCenter Server MOB (Managed Object Browser) at https://vcenterServer/mob to check the ContentLibrary service status.
    Affected if content library service is currently registered and enabled on the vCenter Server
  3. Confirm network accessibility of port 443
    Review firewall rules, NSX configurations, or network segmentation policies to determine whether port 443 on the vCenter Server is exposed to network segments outside the trusted administrative zone.
    Affected if port 443 is reachable from untrusted or external network segments

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable vCenter Server or Cloud Foundation version with the content library service enabled and port 443 exposed to untrusted networks.

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 the relevant VMware security patch for CVE-2022-31698 to the vCenter Server. Consider network segmentation or firewall rules to restrict unauthorized access to port 443 from untrusted networks.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

vCenter Server 7.0 U3+ or Cloud Foundation 3.5.1+ (upgrade to the latest available version for your major release line)

  1. Identify the current vCenter Server or Cloud Foundation version in your environment
  2. Navigate to VMware's official security advisories page (vmware.com/security)
  3. Locate VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0018 or search for CVE-2022-31698
  4. Download and apply the corresponding patch for your version (6.5, 6.7, or 7.0)
  5. Alternatively, plan an upgrade to vCenter Server 7.0 U3 or later, or Cloud Foundation 3.5.1 or later
  6. After patching/upgrading, verify the content library service is operational
  7. Test that normal content library operations (create, update, sync libraries) function correctly
Caveat Review VMware's release notes for breaking changes between versions; test in a staging environment before production deployment

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

Fix this in Cloud Foundation Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-31698 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