VMware HCX: Code smuggling possible through SQL injection gap

Broadcom has closed a security gap in VMware HCX with an update. Attackers can infiltrate and execute code through it.

Security gaps in VMware products put users at risk.

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Oct 17, 2024 at 10:05 am CEST

2 min. read

Security

By

Dirk Knop

There is a security vulnerability in VMware HCX that allows attackers to inject and execute code. Broadcom is providing updated software that fixes the underlying bugs. IT managers should apply the update without delay.

As Broadcom warns in a security advisory, VMware HCX is affected by an SQL injection vulnerability. Authenticated users with low privileges in the system can submit manipulated SQL queries and thus smuggle unauthorized code from the network to the HCX Manager (CVE-2024-38814, CVSS 8.8, risk"high").

VMware HCX: Affected versions

The vulnerability is found in VMware HCX version branches 4.8.x, 4.9.x and 4.10.x. The now available updates to VMware HCX 4.8.3, 4.9.2 and 4.10.1 correct the security-relevant errors in the software.

The new software versions are available for download from Broadcom:

As the security vulnerability with a CVSS value of 8.8 only just misses the risk classification "critical", admins should download and install the updates promptly. This reduces the attack surface.

Products from the VMware environment are a popular target for cyber criminals. At the end of July, for example, a security vulnerability in VMware ESXi was actively attacked. Microsoft had observed the attacks, but the scope remained unclear.

VMware HCX is what the provider calls an "application mobility platform". It allows workloads to be distributed across data centers and clouds through application migration.

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