Security Threats and Vulnerabilities in vSphere
There are many security threats and vulnerabilities that can affect vSphere, such as:
Weak or default credentials: Many administrators use weak or default credentials for the ESXi host, the vCenter Server, or the VMs. This can allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the virtual environment and perform malicious actions.
Misconfigured network settings: Some network settings in vSphere can expose the virtual environment to external attacks, such as enabling SSH or Telnet on the ESXi host, allowing promiscuous mode on virtual switches, or using unencrypted network protocols.
Outdated or unpatched software: Some versions of vSphere or its components may contain known vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. For example, CVE-2021-22040 is a critical vulnerability in VMware ESXi that allows remote code execution by sending a specially crafted request to port 427 on the host.
Insufficient isolation or segmentation: Some administrators do not properly isolate or segment the virtual environment from the physical network or other VMs. This can allow attackers to move laterally within the virtual environment or access sensitive data or resources.
Lack of monitoring or auditing: Some administrators do not monitor or audit the activities or events in the virtual environment. This can allow attackers to evade detection or erase their traces after compromising the virtual environment.
To mitigate these threats and vulnerabilities, administrators should follow the best practices and recommendations from VMware, such as using strong and unique credentials, configuring network settings securely, applying patches and updates regularly, isolating and segmenting the virtual environment properly, and monitoring and auditing the virtual environment effectively.
Metasploit Framework
The Metasploit Framework is a powerful tool for penetration testing and exploitation. It provides a collection of modules, payloads, exploits, scanners, and auxiliary tools that can be used to test the security of various systems and applications. The Metasploit Framework can be used to exploit various vulnerabilities in vSphere, such as:
VMware Authentication Daemon Login Scanner: This module can be used to brute force the credentials of the VMware Authentication Daemon (vmware-authd) service that runs on port 902 on ESXi hosts. This service is used by the vSphere Client to authenticate users and perform administrative tasks on ESXi hosts. If successful, this module can provide access to the ESXi host via SSH or other methods.
VMware Web Login Scanner: This module can be used to brute force the credentials of the VMware Web Service that runs on port 443 on ESXi hosts. This service is used by the vSphere Web Client to authenticate users and perform administrative tasks on ESXi hosts. If successful, this module can provide access to the ESXi host via SSH or other methods.
VMware Update Manager Traversal Scanner: This module can be used to exploit a directory traversal vulnerability (CVE-2013-3520) in VMware Update Manager (VUM) that runs on port 9084 on vCenter Servers. This vulnerability allows an attacker to read arbitrary files from the vCenter Server by sending a specially crafted request. If successful, this module can provide access to sensitive information or files from the vCenter Server.
VMware VDP File Upload: This module can be used to exploit a file upload vulnerability (CVE-2016-7456) in VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP) that runs on port 8545 on VDP appliances. This vulnerability allows an attacker to upload arbitrary files to the VDP appliance by sending a specially crafted request. If successful, this module can provide remote code execution on the VDP appliance.
VMware vCenter Server JMX RMI Service Remote Code Execution: This module can be used to exploit a remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-21975) in VMware vCenter Server that runs on port 9875. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the vCenter Server by sending a specially crafted request to the Java Management Extensions (JMX) Remote Method Invocation (RMI) service. If successful, this module can provide full control over the vCenter Server.
To use these modules, an attacker needs to have access to the Metasploit Framework, which can be installed on Linux, Windows, or OS X systems. The Metasploit Framework consists of two main components: the Framework and the Console. The Framework is a collection of tools and libraries that can create or modify exploit code. The Console is a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it easy to use the Framework. The Console can be launched by typing msfconsole in a terminal window. The Console provides various commands and options to interact with the Framework, such as:
search: This command can be used to search for modules, exploits, payloads, or auxiliary tools that match a given keyword or criteria.
use: This command can be used to select and load a module, exploit, payload, or auxiliary tool that matches a given name or index.
show: This command can be used to show information or options about a module, exploit, payload, or auxiliary tool that is currently loaded.
set: This command can be used to set or change an option or parameter for a module, exploit, payload, or auxiliary tool that is currently loaded.
run: This command can be used to execute or launch a module, exploit, payload, or auxiliary tool that is currently loaded.
exploit: This command can be used to execute or launch an exploit that is currently loaded.
To use these commands and options, an attacker needs to have some basic knowledge of the target system and its vulnerabilities. For example, an attacker needs to know the IP address, port number, service name, version number, and credentials of the target system. An attacker also needs to know the name, index, options, and parameters of the module, exploit, payload, or auxiliary tool that matches the target system and its vulnerabilities. An attacker can use various tools and techniques to gather this information, such as network scanning, port scanning, service enumeration, version detection, credential guessing, etc.
Conclusion
vMware vSphere is a widely used virtualization platform that offers many benefits and features for users. However, it also introduces new security threats and vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers who want to compromise the virtual environment. In this article, we discussed some of the common security threats and vulnerabilities in vSphere, and how to use the Metasploit Framework to exploit them. We hope that this article will help administrators and security professionals to understand the risks and challenges of securing vSphere environments, and how to use penetration testing and exploitation tools to test and improve their security posture.
References:
[vMware vSphere - Security and Metasploit Exploitation Framework - Hakin9]
[VMTraining Blog: VMware vSphere Security and Metasploit Exploitation Framework]
[What is Metasploit: Tools, Uses, History, Benefits, and Limitations]
[How To Use The Metasploit Framework For Penetration Testing - EC-Council]
[VMSA-2022-0004 - VMware]
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