CVE-2022-31697: VMware vCenter Server Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2022-31697 Overview

CVE-2022-31697 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting VMware vCenter Server and VMware Cloud Foundation. The vulnerability exists due to improper handling of sensitive data during vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations, where credentials are logged in plaintext. A malicious actor with access to a workstation that invoked a vCenter Server Appliance ISO operation (Install/Upgrade/Migrate/Restore) can access plaintext passwords used during that operation.

This vulnerability falls under CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information), highlighting a fundamental security flaw in how sensitive credential data is handled during critical infrastructure operations.

Critical Impact

An attacker with local access to workstations used for vCenter Server deployment operations can harvest plaintext credentials, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the virtualization infrastructure and enabling further lateral movement within the environment.

Affected Products

• VMware vCenter Server 6.5 (all versions through Update 3t)
• VMware vCenter Server 6.7 (all versions through Update 3r)
• VMware vCenter Server 7.0 (all versions through Update 3h)
• VMware Cloud Foundation (all affected versions)

Discovery Timeline

• December 13, 2022 - CVE-2022-31697 published to NVD
• April 22, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2022-31697

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a significant operational security risk in VMware vCenter Server environments. During vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations—including fresh installations, upgrades, migrations, and restore procedures—the system logs credentials in plaintext to accessible log files. This logging behavior creates a persistent record of sensitive authentication data that can be accessed by anyone with sufficient privileges on the workstation where these operations were performed.

The impact is particularly concerning because vCenter Server serves as the central management platform for VMware virtualized environments. Credentials exposed through this vulnerability could provide attackers with administrative access to the entire virtualization infrastructure, potentially compromising all managed virtual machines and hosts.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2022-31697 is the cleartext storage of sensitive information (CWE-312). During vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations, the installation, upgrade, migration, or restore processes write credential information to log files without proper sanitization or encryption. This design flaw means that passwords and other authentication data are stored in human-readable format, violating fundamental secure coding practices for credential handling.

The vulnerability exists because the logging mechanism fails to implement proper data masking or redaction for sensitive fields during these administrative operations. Standard security practice dictates that credentials should never be written to logs, or if logging is absolutely necessary, the data should be masked or encrypted.

Attack Vector

Exploitation of CVE-2022-31697 requires local access to a workstation that has been used to perform vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations. The attack scenario involves:

1. An attacker gains access to an administrative workstation (through physical access, compromised credentials, or malware)
2. The attacker locates log files generated during previous vCenter Server Appliance operations
3. The attacker extracts plaintext credentials from these log files
4. Using the harvested credentials, the attacker can authenticate to the vCenter Server infrastructure

The vulnerability requires low privileges to exploit once local access is obtained, and no user interaction is required beyond having previously performed a vulnerable ISO operation on that workstation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2022-31697

Indicators of Compromise

• Unauthorized access to log files in directories associated with vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations
• Unusual file access patterns on administrative workstations used for vCenter deployment activities
• Authentication attempts to vCenter Server from unexpected sources using legitimate credentials
• Evidence of credential harvesting tools or scripts targeting VMware-related log directories

Detection Strategies

• Implement file integrity monitoring on workstations used for vCenter Server administration to detect unauthorized access to installation logs
• Monitor authentication logs on vCenter Server for login attempts from unexpected IP addresses or at unusual times
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious file access patterns on administrative workstations
• Audit access to workstations that have performed vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for file access on administrative workstations and centralize these logs for analysis
• Configure SIEM alerts for multiple failed or successful authentication attempts to vCenter Server from non-standard sources
• Implement privileged access management (PAM) solutions to control and monitor access to administrative workstations
• Conduct periodic reviews of stored log files to identify and securely delete files containing sensitive information

How to Mitigate CVE-2022-31697

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest security patches from VMware as detailed in VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0030
• Identify all workstations that have been used for vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations and conduct a security review
• Securely delete log files that may contain plaintext credentials from administrative workstations
• Rotate all credentials that may have been used during vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations
• Restrict access to administrative workstations and implement privileged access controls

Patch Information

VMware has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to the patched versions as specified in the VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2022-0030. The advisory contains specific version information and download links for remediated vCenter Server releases.

After applying patches, it is essential to also remediate any existing exposure by identifying and removing log files that may contain plaintext credentials from previous operations, and rotating any potentially exposed credentials.

Workarounds

• Restrict physical and remote access to workstations used for vCenter Server administration to authorized personnel only
• Implement a policy to securely wipe or destroy log files immediately after completing vCenter Server Appliance ISO operations
• Use dedicated, hardened workstations for vCenter Server administrative tasks and ensure they are isolated from general network access
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions with file access monitoring capabilities on all administrative workstations
• Consider using a temporary, isolated environment for vCenter Server ISO operations that is destroyed after the operation completes

# Example: Secure log file cleanup after vCenter operations
# Identify and securely delete logs that may contain credentials

# Find log files from vCenter Appliance operations
find /var/log /tmp -name "*vcsa*" -o -name "*vcenter*" -type f 2>/dev/null

# Securely delete identified log files (use shred for secure deletion)
# shred -vfz -n 5 /path/to/log/file

# Verify no credential-containing files remain
grep -r "password" /var/log/vmware* 2>/dev/null