CVE-2022-22948Public exploit

Database credential disclosure via readable configuration file

Published Mar 29, 2022 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Information disclosure in VMware vCenter Server and Cloud Foundation allows local users with non-administrative access to read database credentials. The appliance assigns cis-group-readable permissions to /etc/vmware-vpx/vcdb.properties even though it stores plaintext PostgreSQL login credentials. A low-privileged shell in the cis group is required; the exposed login grants access to VCDB data about managed hosts and virtual machines.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability13.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in VMware vCenter Server and Cloud Foundation allows local users with non-administrative access to read database credentials. The appliance assigns cis-group-readable permissions to /etc/vmware-vpx/vcdb.properties even though it stores plaintext PostgreSQL login credentials. A low-privileged shell in the cis group is required; the exposed login grants access to VCDB data about managed hosts and virtual machines.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22948
Published
Mar 29, 2022
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
VMware
Product
VMware vCenter Server
Classifications
CWE-732, T1552.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 29, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.5 <6.5_u3r
  2. Affected versionversion=6.7 <6.7_u3p
  3. Affected versionversion=7.0 <7.0_u3d

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

VMware · VMware vCenter Serverversion=6.5 <6.5_u3r; version=6.7 <6.7_u3p; version=7.0 <7.0_u3d
VMware · VMware Cloud Foundationversion=3.0 <3.11; version=4.0 <5.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5VMwareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1552.001Unsecured Credentials Credentials In Files

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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