CVE-2023-20867Known exploitation

Privileged guest operations via deprecated credential types

Published Jun 13, 2023 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Authentication bypass in VMware Tools allows attackers with root access to an ESXi host to execute privileged guest operations. The VIX guest-operation handler accepts deprecated root and console-user credential types, granting the VMware Tools process token without validating guest credentials. Exploitation requires a fully compromised ESXi host and permits commands and file operations within Windows or Linux guest virtual machines.

CVSS severity3.9
Low
EPSS probability13.53%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Authentication bypass in VMware Tools allows attackers with root access to an ESXi host to execute privileged guest operations. The VIX guest-operation handler accepts deprecated root and console-user credential types, granting the VMware Tools process token without validating guest credentials. Exploitation requires a fully compromised ESXi host and permits commands and file operations within Windows or Linux guest virtual machines.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20867
Published
Jun 13, 2023
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-287, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 13, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 23, 2023Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing
  3. Oct 21, 2025Record 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 privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

3.9VMwareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/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.

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-287Improper Authentication
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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