CRITICAL PATCH ALERT: Broadcom Patches RCE Flaws in VMware vCenter and NSX That Could Lead to Full Data Center Takeover
By CyberDudeBivash • October 01, 2025, 07:40 PM IST • Critical Vulnerability Alert
This is a code-red alert for every organization running a VMware-powered data center. Broadcom has released emergency security patches for critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities in two of the most foundational products in the Software-Defined Datacenter (SDDC): **VMware vCenter Server** and **VMware NSX**. These are not minor bugs. The flaws, particularly a pre-authentication RCE in vCenter, could allow an unauthenticated attacker to take complete control of your entire virtual infrastructure. Compromising the management plane (vCenter) and the network plane (NSX) is the endgame for any sophisticated attacker, giving them the "god mode" keys to every virtual machine, every network segment, and all of your data. Immediate, emergency patching is the only acceptable course of action.
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Threat #1 (CVE-2025-70771): Pre-Authentication RCE in vCenter Server
This is the most critical of the two flaws. It is a **deserialization vulnerability** in a vAPI endpoint of the vCenter Server appliance. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the vCenter management interface can send a specially crafted request containing a malicious object. The server fails to safely deserialize this object, leading to arbitrary code execution with `root` privileges on the appliance.
**Impact:** A full, unauthenticated takeover of the central management server. An attacker can create, delete, and manage all VMs; access all datastores; and control the entire virtual environment. This is a catastrophic breach of the management plane.
Threat #2 (CVE-2025-70772): Privilege Escalation to RCE in NSX
This flaw affects VMware NSX, the network virtualization platform. It is a **post-authentication command injection** vulnerability. An attacker who has already obtained low-privileged, read-only access to the NSX Manager (e.g., via a stolen password) can exploit a flaw in a diagnostic script in the web interface. By injecting malicious commands into a parameter of this script, they can execute code on the NSX Manager appliance with `root` privileges.
**Impact:** A full takeover of the network and security plane. An attacker can modify firewall rules (D-FW), change routing, intercept traffic, and disable all network security controls, making the entire data center blind and defenseless.
The Defender's Playbook: Emergency Patching and Hardening Guide
There is no room for delay. Your response must be immediate and cover both vulnerabilities.
Step 1: Apply the VMSA Patches Immediately
This is your highest and most urgent priority. Broadcom has released updates for all affected versions of vCenter Server and NSX. You must refer to the official VMware Security Advisory (VMSA) and apply these patches now. There is no effective workaround for the pre-auth vCenter RCE.
Step 2: Isolate and Harden the Management Plane
This is a critical security best practice that would have significantly mitigated this threat. Your vCenter and NSX Manager interfaces should **NEVER** be on a general corporate or user network.
- Ensure these appliances are on a dedicated, secure management VLAN.
- Use a firewall to create strict rules that only allow access to the management ports (e.g., TCP 443) from a handful of authorized IP addresses, such as hardened bastion hosts or dedicated administrator workstations. **Deny all other traffic by default.**
Step 3: Hunt for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
Assume you may have been compromised before patching.
- **For vCenter:** Analyze the vAPI endpoint logs for unusual or malformed requests. Audit the vCenter events for any unauthorized user creation, VM modifications, or snapshot creation/deletion.
- - **For NSX:** Audit the NSX Manager logs for access to the vulnerable diagnostic script. Review all firewall and routing rules for any unauthorized changes.
- - **On Both:** Check the appliances for any unusual outbound network connections, new cron jobs, or unrecognized running processes. An **EDR for Linux** can be invaluable for spotting this on the appliances themselves.
The Strategic Response: Defending the Software-Defined Datacenter (SDDC)
This dual-vulnerability event is a powerful reminder that the integration and centralization of the SDDC is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness. The ability to control your entire data center from a single pane of glass is a massive operational benefit, but it also creates an incredibly valuable single point of failure for attackers.
As we detailed in our **VMware Infrastructure Hacking Risk Report**, a modern defense strategy must treat the management plane as a fortress within a fortress. This requires a Zero Trust mindset to be applied not just to user traffic, but to the management components themselves. Network micro-segmentation should be used to create firewalls between your ESXi hosts, your vCenter, and your NSX Manager, ensuring that a compromise of one does not automatically grant access to the others. Securing the SDDC requires thinking of it as a distributed system that needs defense at every layer.
Protecting a complex virtual environment requires a purpose-built security solution. **Kaspersky Hybrid Cloud Security** offers agentless security that integrates with vSphere to provide protection without impacting performance, including network integrity monitoring for the virtual switch.
FAQ & Mitigation Summary
Q: We have already patched our vCenter server but have not yet done NSX. Are we safe?
A: No. These are two independent and critical vulnerabilities. While patching vCenter protects you from the pre-authentication RCE, a compromised NSX Manager can be used to disable all your network firewalls and security groups. This would leave your now-patched vCenter completely exposed to any attacker who already has a foothold in your network. You must treat both patches with the same, highest level of urgency.
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About the Author
CyberDudeBivash is a cybersecurity strategist and researcher with over 15 years of experience in data center security, virtualization, and infrastructure hardening. He provides strategic advisory services to CISOs and boards across the APAC region. [Last Updated: October 01, 2025]
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