CVE-2023-20864Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Unauthenticated root code execution via serialized objects

Published Apr 20, 2023 · Updated Feb 5, 2025

Deserialization in VMware Cloud Foundation Operations for Logs 8.10.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code as root. The InternalClusterController passes POST bodies from the applyMembership, setToken, and approveMembership APIs to SerializationUtils.deserialize(), which creates an ObjectInputStream and calls readObject() before validating the serialized class. Network access to TCP 9000 or 9543 is sufficient; a CommonsBeanutils1 gadget chain runs attacker-controlled code in the root service context.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability70.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Deserialization in VMware Cloud Foundation Operations for Logs 8.10.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code as root. The InternalClusterController passes POST bodies from the applyMembership, setToken, and approveMembership APIs to SerializationUtils.deserialize(), which creates an ObjectInputStream and calls readObject() before validating the serialized class. Network access to TCP 9000 or 9543 is sufficient; a CommonsBeanutils1 gadget chain runs attacker-controlled code in the root service context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20864
Published
Apr 20, 2023
Updated
Feb 5, 2025
Vendor
VMware
Product
VMware Cloud Foundation Operations for Logs
Classifications
CWE-502, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 20, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 5, 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=VMware Aria Operations for Logs (formerly vRealize Log Insight) 8.10.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

VMware · VMware Cloud Foundation Operations for Logsversion=VMware Aria Operations for Logs (formerly vRealize Log Insight) 8.10.2

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8VMwareCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

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

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