ClosedPatched

VMware Tools: Authentication Bypass (CVE-2023-20867)

VMware Tools

VMware Tools contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in the vgauth module. A fully compromised ESXi host can force VMware Tools to fail to authenticate host-to-guest operations, impacting the confidentiality and integrity of the guest virtual machine. An attacker must have root access over ESXi to exploit this vulnerability. Added to CISA KEV on 2023-06-23.

Why this severity: CVSS 3.9 (NVD), actively exploited (CISA KEV)

Started: Jun 23, 2023
Closed: Jun 23, 2023
CVE: CVE-2023-20867

Follow this incident

Updated Jun 23, 2023

Affected

See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)

Fixed in

See vendor advisory linked in sources

Timeline1

Jun 23, 2023
CISA added CVE-2023-20867 to the KEV catalog (due 2023-07-14).

Advisories3

Notes & caveats

Derived from CISA KEV JSON feed catalogVersion 2026.10.21. Exact affected/fixed version strings are not always in the KEV record — verify against the vendor advisory URL. startedAt uses dateAdded (exploitation may have begun earlier).

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