Root privilege escalation via permissive support scripts
Published Apr 13, 2022 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Local privilege escalation in VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager, and vRealize Automation allows local users to gain root. Improper permissions on undisclosed support scripts let a low-privileged account gain the scripts' root authority; VMware has not identified the scripts or permission bits. An existing local account is required on the affected Linux appliance, with affected releases spanning Access 20.10.0.0 through 21.08.0.1, Identity Manager 3.3.3 through 3.3.6, and vRealize Automation 7.6.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager, and vRealize Automation allows local users to gain root. Improper permissions on undisclosed support scripts let a low-privileged account gain the scripts' root authority; VMware has not identified the scripts or permission bits. An existing local account is required on the affected Linux appliance, with affected releases spanning Access 20.10.0.0 through 21.08.0.1, Identity Manager 3.3.3 through 3.3.6, and vRealize Automation 7.6.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-22960
- Published
- Apr 13, 2022
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-732, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 13, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 19, 2022Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing
- 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?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- VMware Workspace ONE Access Privilege Escalationproof of concept · unverified
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listingknown exploited catalog
- Vendor-confirmed exploitation in the wildreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo