Vcenter ServerApplication · VMware
CVE-2023-34048
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 · uneditedvCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds write potentially leading to remote code execution.
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 confidencevCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the DCERPC protocol implementation. An unauthenticated attacker with network access can trigger this memory corruption, potentially achieving remote code execution on the underlying system.
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
>= 4.0, <= 5.5= 7.0= 8.0CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vCenter Server installation and versionAccess the vSphere Client web interface and navigate to About page, or run 'vpxd -v' from the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) command line, or check the VMware vCenter Server Build number in the Summary tab of the vCenter Server object in the vSphere inventoryAffected if The installed version matches 4.0 through 5.5, or equals 7.0, or equals 8.0 (including U1, U2, U3 variants if the patch is not applied)
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Verify DCERPC network service exposureCheck if vCenter Server is reachable on TCP ports required for DCERPC (primarily port 135 for RPC endpoint mapper, and ports in the 1024-65535 range for dynamic DCERPC connections). Use 'nc -zv <vcenter-ip> 135' or port scanning tools to test accessibility from untrusted networksAffected if vCenter Server DCERPC ports (especially port 135) are accessible from network segments that contain untrusted or attacker-controlled systems
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Confirm vCenter Server is directly internet-facingReview firewall rules, NAT configurations, and security group settings to determine if vCenter Server management interfaces are exposed to the public internet or to less-trusted network zonesAffected if vCenter Server has direct network accessibility from the internet or from network zones outside the protected management network segmentation
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Check if this is a Windows-based vCenter ServerFor Windows-based vCenter Server installations, verify the Windows version and ensure it is still supported; for vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA), check the appliance version using 'cat /etc/vmware-version' from the shellAffected if The vCenter Server is running and meets the version criteria in step 1 regardless of deployment type (Windows or VCSA)
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Review recent security patch applicationCheck VMware Security Advisories (VMSA) for CVE-2023-34048 and verify if the corresponding patch has been applied. On VCSA, review the installed packages using 'rpm -qa | grep -i vmware' or check the Update History in the vSphere ClientAffected if The patch for CVE-2023-34048 has not been applied and the version falls within the affected ranges
You are affected if vCenter Server is installed with version 4.0-5.5, 7.0, or 8.0 (including all U1/U2/U3 updates unless the specific CVE-2023-34048 patch has been applied) AND the DCERPC service is network-accessible from untrusted networks.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply the relevant VMware security patch for CVE-2023-34048 to vCenter Server. Restrict network access to vCenter management interfaces and implement network segmentation to limit exposure.
Apply VMware vCenter Server patch for VMSA-2023-0014 or upgrade to latest vCenter Server 8.0 U-family release
- Check the official VMware Security Advisory (VMSA) for this CVE to obtain the exact patch bundle numbers
- Apply the latest VMware vCenter Server security patch for your version (7.0 or 8.0)
- Alternatively, upgrade to a newer supported version of vCenter Server that includes the security fix
- After patching, verify the DCERPC service is properly secured and monitor for any anomalous network activity
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Vcenter Server
Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-34048 — 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-2023-34048 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
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