CVE-2021-22050 : What You Need to Know

ESXi contains a slow HTTP POST denial-of-service vulnerability in rhttpproxy. A malicious actor with network access to ESXi may exploit this issue to create a denial-of-service condition by overwhelming rhttpproxy service with multiple requests.

Understanding CVE-2021-22050

This section provides a detailed overview of CVE-2021-22050.

What is CVE-2021-22050?

CVE-2021-22050 is a denial-of-service vulnerability found in ESXi and VMware Cloud Foundation.

The Impact of CVE-2021-22050

The vulnerability allows a malicious actor to launch a denial-of-service attack by flooding the rhttpproxy service with multiple requests.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-22050

In this section, we dive into the technical aspects of CVE-2021-22050.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability resides in the rhttpproxy component of ESXi, which can be exploited by an attacker with network access to disrupt the service.

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware ESXi versions 7.0 U3 before ESXi70U3c-19193900, ESXi 6.7 ESXi670-202111101-SG, ESXi 6.5 before ESXi650-202110101-SG, and VMware Cloud Foundation versions 4.x before 4.4 and 3.x before 3.11 are affected.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a high volume of HTTP POST requests to overwhelm the rhttpproxy service, leading to a denial-of-service situation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Understanding how to mitigate and prevent CVE-2021-22050 is crucial for maintaining system security.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended to apply the necessary security patches provided by VMware to address this vulnerability promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring to detect and prevent denial-of-service attacks in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update ESXi and VMware Cloud Foundation to the latest versions to ensure protection against known vulnerabilities.