📄 Description (English)
VMware vCenter Server Incorrect Default File Permissions Vulnerability — VMware vCenter Server contains an incorrect default file permissions vulnerability that allows a remote, privileged attacker to gain access to sensitive information.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
VMware vCenter Server contains a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.0) allowing privileged remote attackers to access sensitive information through incorrect default file permissions. This vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations managing virtualized infrastructure, particularly those in Saudi Arabia's critical sectors. Immediate patching is essential as exploits are publicly available.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 21, 2026 15:33
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability critically impacts Saudi organizations across multiple sectors: Banking sector (SAMA-regulated institutions) managing virtualized core systems, Government agencies (NCA oversight) operating sensitive infrastructure, Healthcare sector (MOH) managing patient data systems, Energy sector (ARAMCO, SEC) controlling critical infrastructure, and Telecom providers (STC, Mobily) managing network virtualization. vCenter Server is fundamental to enterprise virtualization, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations managing sensitive data and critical operations.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Healthcare
Energy and Utilities
Telecommunications
Critical Infrastructure
Large Enterprise IT Operations
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1078 - Valid Accounts
T1087 - Account Discovery
T1010 - Application Window Discovery
T1217 - Browser Bookmark Discovery
T1580 - Cloud Infrastructure Discovery
T1526 - Cloud Service Discovery
T1538 - Cloud Service Dashboard
T1526 - Cloud Service Discovery
T1213 - Data from Information Repositories
T1005 - Data from Local System
T1025 - Data from Removable Media
T1020 - Automated Exfiltration
T1041 - Exfiltration Over C2 Channel
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
9.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
1. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
- Identify all vCenter Server instances in your environment
- Restrict network access to vCenter Server to authorized administrators only
- Review and audit file permissions on affected systems
- Monitor access logs for suspicious privileged account activity
2. PATCHING GUIDANCE:
- Apply VMware security patches immediately (vCenter Server 7.0 U3c, 6.7 U3n or later)
- Test patches in non-production environment first
- Schedule patching during maintenance windows with minimal business impact
- Verify patch application and system functionality post-deployment
3. COMPENSATING CONTROLS:
- Implement network segmentation isolating vCenter Server
- Enable multi-factor authentication for vCenter administrative access
- Deploy privileged access management (PAM) solutions
- Implement role-based access control (RBAC) with least privilege principles
4. DETECTION RULES:
- Monitor for unauthorized file access attempts on vCenter configuration directories
- Alert on privilege escalation attempts within vCenter
- Track changes to file permissions on vCenter system files
- Monitor for unusual administrative account activity and API calls
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
1. الإجراءات الفورية:
- تحديد جميع مثيلات vCenter Server في بيئتك
- تقييد الوصول الشبكي إلى vCenter Server للمسؤولين المصرح لهم فقط
- مراجعة وتدقيق أذونات الملفات على الأنظمة المتأثرة
- مراقبة سجلات الوصول للنشاط المريب للحسابات الممتلكة لصلاحيات
2. إرشادات التصحيح:
- تطبيق تصحيحات أمان VMware فوراً (vCenter Server 7.0 U3c، 6.7 U3n أو أحدث)
- اختبار التصحيحات في بيئة غير الإنتاج أولاً
- جدولة التصحيح خلال نوافذ الصيانة بأقل تأثير على العمليات
- التحقق من تطبيق التصحيح وعمل النظام بعد النشر
3. الضوابط البديلة:
- تنفيذ تقسيم الشبكة لعزل vCenter Server
- تفعيل المصادقة متعددة العوامل لوصول vCenter الإداري
- نشر حلول إدارة الوصول الممتاز (PAM)
- تنفيذ التحكم في الوصول القائم على الأدوار مع مبادئ الحد الأدنى من الصلاحيات
4. قواعد الكشف:
- مراقبة محاولات الوصول غير المصرح إلى دلائل تكوين vCenter
- تنبيهات محاولات تصعيد الصلاحيات داخل vCenter
- تتبع التغييرات في أذونات الملفات على ملفات نظام vCenter
- مراقبة نشاط حسابات إدارية غير عادي واستدعاءات API
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies and procedures
A.6.1.1 - Access control policy
A.6.2.1 - User registration and de-registration
A.6.2.2 - User access provisioning
A.9.1.1 - Access control objectives
A.9.2.1 - User access management
A.9.2.5 - Access rights review
A.9.4.3 - Password management
A.12.4.1 - Event logging
A.12.4.3 - Administrator and operator logs
🔵 SAMA CSF
Governance - Policy and Risk Management
Governance - Compliance and Audit
Protection - Access Control
Protection - Data Protection
Detection - Monitoring and Alerting
Response - Incident Management
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
5.3 - Segregation of duties
6.2 - Competence
8.1 - Operational planning and control
8.2 - Supply chain relationships
8.3 - Information and communication
A.5.1 - Policies for information security
A.6.1 - Access control policy
A.6.2 - User access management
A.9.1 - Access control
A.9.2 - User access management
A.9.4 - Access control to information and other associated assets
A.12.4 - Logging
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0
Requirement 2 - Default security parameters
Requirement 6 - Secure development and vulnerability management
Requirement 7 - Restrict access to data by business need
Requirement 8 - Identify and authenticate access
Requirement 10 - Track and monitor access to network resources
🔗 References & Sources 0
No references.
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
VMware:vCenter Server