CVE-2022-31664Public exploit

Root escalation via ntpServer PATH hijacking

Published Aug 5, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Local privilege escalation in VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager, and vRealize Automation allows local users to gain root. The sudo-authorized ntpServer.hzn script invokes the missing sntp program by name, allowing a low-privileged user to prepend a writable directory to PATH and supply a root-run replacement. Low-privileged code execution on an affected appliance is required, and successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution as root.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in VMware Workspace ONE Access, Identity Manager, and vRealize Automation allows local users to gain root. The sudo-authorized ntpServer.hzn script invokes the missing sntp program by name, allowing a low-privileged user to prepend a writable directory to PATH and supply a root-run replacement. Low-privileged code execution on an affected appliance is required, and successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution as root.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-31664
Published
Aug 5, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
T1548.003
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 5, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.8VMwareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

T1548.003Sudo and Sudo Caching

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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