# Vmware vulnerabilities & exploitation

**CISA KEV** · **Ransomware**

> As of 2026-10-05, Threadlinqs tracks 11 Vmware CVEs, 9 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, 2 used in ransomware campaigns, linked to 30 tracked threat campaigns and 12 named threat actors.

**Data as of:** 2026-10-05

## Exploitation timeline

Threadlinqs has recorded 11 Vmware CVEs published between 2021-12-15 and 2026-02-15. The busiest month was 2025-03 (3 new CVEs). 9 of them (82%) are listed in CISA KEV, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed.

## Most exploited vulnerabilities

Ranked with CISA KEV listings first, then EPSS exploit probability, then CVSS score. Showing 11 of 11 tracked Vmware CVEs.

- [CVE-2021-22054](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2021-22054) — HIGH 7.5 · KEV · EPSS 93.8% · 2021-12-17
- [CVE-2023-34048](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2023-34048) — CRITICAL 9.8 · KEV · EPSS 93.2% · 2023-10-25
- [CVE-2024-37085](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2024-37085) — MEDIUM 6.8 · KEV · Ransomware · EPSS 75.6% · 2024-06-25
- [CVE-2025-22224](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2025-22224) — CRITICAL 9.3 · KEV · EPSS 50.1% · 2025-03-04
- [CVE-2022-22948](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2022-22948) — MEDIUM 6.5 · KEV · EPSS 26% · 2022-03-29
- [CVE-2025-22225](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2025-22225) — HIGH 8.2 · KEV · Ransomware · EPSS 8.5% · 2025-03-04
- [CVE-2025-22226](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2025-22226) — HIGH 7.1 · KEV · EPSS 3.5% · 2025-03-04
- [CVE-2023-20867](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2023-20867) — LOW 3.9 · KEV · EPSS 2.7% · 2023-06-13
- [CVE-2026-22719](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-22719) — HIGH 8.1 · KEV · EPSS 2.3% · 2026-02-25
- [CVE-2026-22720](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-22720) — HIGH 8 · EPSS 0.1% · 2026-02-25
- [CVE-2026-22721](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-22721) — MEDIUM 6.2 · EPSS 0% · 2026-02-25

## Products affected

Threadlinqs normalises CPE and CNA product records across all 11 CVEs; 10 distinct Vmware products are affected. The most frequently affected:

- Cloud Foundation — 8 CVEs
- Telco Cloud Infrastructure — 6 CVEs
- Telco Cloud Platform — 6 CVEs
- Esxi — 4 CVEs
- Aria Operations — 3 CVEs
- Vcenter Server — 2 CVEs
- Workstation — 2 CVEs
- Fusion — 1 CVE
- Tools — 1 CVE
- Workspace One Uem Console — 1 CVE

## Threat activity

30 tracked threat campaigns reference Vmware products or exploit Vmware CVEs; the 25 most recent are listed.

- [The First 24 Hours of a Ransomware Intrusion: Exfiltration, Credential Theft and Backup Targeting (Akira, REDBIKE, AGENDA)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-2852) — HIGH — 2026-10-03
- [Hyadina Rebrands Beast Ransomware as 'GodDamn' and Uses PoisonX Signed Kernel Driver to Disable Endpoint Defenses](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-2409) — CRITICAL — 2026-09-08
- [Aurora Ransomware Affiliate Uses Cursor AI Coding Assistant for Attack Planning, ADCS Abuse Across 20+ Victims](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-2165) — HIGH — 2026-08-27
- [Khmer Shadow: Amber Saolao cluster targets Cambodian government with NIGHTFORGE loader and Havoc Demon](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-2148) — HIGH — 2026-08-26
- [LockBit 5.0 Ransomware Extortion Claim Against US Bank (U.S. Bancorp)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-2094) — HIGH — 2026-08-21
- [Ransom Cartel ransomware creator Maksim Silnikau sentenced to 16 years in federal prison](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1902) — HIGH — 2026-08-05
- [Sen. Wyden Urges Binding Federal Mandate to Purge Internet-Facing Legacy VPNs for Zero-Trust Remote Access](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1774) — MEDIUM — 2026-07-27
- [msaRAT: Rust-based RAT Hides C2 in Browser Process, Tied to Chaos Ransomware RaaS](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1694) — HIGH — 2026-07-25
- [DragonForce Ransomware: Vishing-Driven Help Desk Social Engineering Against UK Retailers (M&S, Co-op, Harrods)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1647) — HIGH — 2026-07-23
- [Chaos Ransomware Uses msaRAT to Route C2 Traffic Through Headless Chrome and Edge](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1663) — HIGH — 2026-07-23
- [Spirals Ransomware: Rust-Based Double-Extortion Family Breaches South Asian IT Services Firm via IIS Web Shell in Under 24 Hours](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1410) — HIGH — 2026-07-16
- [The Gentlemen RaaS overtakes Qilin as #1 ransomware operation, wields GentleKiller EDR-killer framework (400+ processes, 8 BYOVD variants) and 90% affiliate payouts](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1332) — HIGH — 2026-07-14
- [The Gentlemen RaaS (Storm-2697) — Multi-Platform Ransomware-as-a-Service with BYOVD Defense Evasion and Self-Propagating Go Encryptor](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1220) — HIGH — 2026-07-11
- [Black Basta Ransomware Operation - Organizational Breakdown & 2025 Shutdown](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1015) — CRITICAL — 2026-06-30
- [Q1 2026 Ransomware Landscape: Qilin Dominance, LockBit 5.0 Comeback, and FortiGate (CVE-2024-55591) / Oracle EBS (CVE-2025-61882) Mass Exploitation](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0758) — CRITICAL — 2026-06-10
- [EndPoint (Midnight) Ransomware — Babuk-derived double-extortion targeting Windows, ESXi, and NAS](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0742) — CRITICAL — 2026-06-09
- [VECT 2.0 / DEVMAN 3.0 Ransomware — Design-Flawed ChaCha20 Encryption Irreversibly Destroys Files Over 128KB on Windows, Linux & ESXi (Wiper by Accident)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0697) — HIGH — 2026-06-06
- [Akira Ransomware Kill Chain — SSLVPN Credential Stuffing → Kerberoasting → RDP Lateral → vssadmin Shadow Copy Deletion (SANS ISC Forensic Reconstruction, May 2026)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0610) — HIGH — 2026-05-27
- [Pwn2Own Berlin 2026 Day Two: Microsoft Exchange RCE-as-SYSTEM Chain and 14 Other Zero-Days Disclosed](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-1547) — HIGH — 2026-05-15
- [Payouts King Ransomware — BlackBasta Successor Operation Targeting US Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Construction Sectors](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0378) — HIGH — 2026-04-16
- [Payload Ransomware Targeting Windows and VMware ESXi with Babuk-Derived Curve25519/ChaCha20 Encryption](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0340) — HIGH — 2026-04-09
- [Coinbase Cartel — Data Exfiltration-Only Ransomware Group Targeting Healthcare, Tech & Transportation](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0319) — HIGH — 2026-04-06
- [BRICKSTORM Backdoor: UNC5221 PRC-Nexus APT Targeting VMware vSphere Infrastructure](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0313) — CRITICAL — 2026-04-02
- [UNC3886 Zero-Day Rootkit Campaign Targeting Singaporean Telecommunications — ORB Network C2, Fortinet/VMware Exploitation, Covert Infrastructure Persistence](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0221) — CRITICAL — 2026-03-13
- [Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM Pre-Auth SSRF Active Exploitation (CVE-2021-22054)](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/threat/TL-2026-0201) — CRITICAL — 2026-03-09

## Threat actors targeting Vmware

Named threat actors attributed to campaigns that involve Vmware products or CVEs, with the number of linked campaigns:

- [The Gentlemen](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/The%20Gentlemen) — 3 campaigns
- [Akira](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Akira) — 2 campaigns
- [Storm-1567](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Storm-1567) — 2 campaigns
- [Black Basta](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Black%20Basta) — 1 campaign
- [Chaos](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Chaos) — 1 campaign
- [Cl0p](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Cl0p) — 1 campaign
- [Clop](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Clop) — 1 campaign
- [Coinbase Cartel](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Coinbase%20Cartel) — 1 campaign
- [CoinbaseCartel](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/CoinbaseCartel) — 1 campaign
- [DevMan](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/DevMan) — 1 campaign
- [Hyadina](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/Hyadina) — 1 campaign
- [LockBit](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/actor/LockBit) — 1 campaign

## How to prioritise Vmware patching

This order follows the data Threadlinqs holds for Vmware, not a generic severity checklist:

- 9 of 11 Vmware CVEs (82%) are in CISA KEV: treat them as actively exploited and remediate them first, starting with [CVE-2021-22054](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2021-22054), [CVE-2023-34048](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2023-34048), [CVE-2024-37085](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2024-37085).
- 2 CVEs are known to be used in ransomware campaigns; patch these ahead of other KEV entries on internet-facing systems.
- Outside KEV, the highest EPSS scores are [CVE-2026-22720](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-22720) (0.1%), [CVE-2026-22721](https://intel.threadlinqs.com/cve/CVE-2026-22721) (0%).
- 2 CVEs score Critical and 5 High on CVSS v3 (maximum 9.8, average 7.4); sequence these after KEV and high-EPSS items.

## About this data

Vendor attribution comes from the CNA and CPE product records of each CVE, folded to one vendor name; CVSS, EPSS and KEV status are read from the Threadlinqs CVE catalog; campaign and actor links come from tracked threat records. Counts reflect the data as of 2026-10-05 and refresh daily.

Canonical: https://intel.threadlinqs.com/vendors/vmware
All vendors: https://intel.threadlinqs.com/vendors
Full detection coverage and IOCs via the Threadlinqs MCP server (Purple tier): https://intel.threadlinqs.com/mcp