{
  "crds_version": "0.1",
  "kind": "base",
  "id": "crds:cve-2024-37085",
  "revision": 1,
  "title": "VMware ESXi — a deleted admin group re-created for full access",
  "summary": "On an ESXi host that uses Active Directory for user management, an attacker with enough directory rights deletes the 'ESXi Admins' group and re-creates it, and the host grants full access to whoever is in it. Ransomware crews are using this.",
  "source_type": "cve",
  "severity": "high",
  "cvss": {
    "score": 7.2,
    "vector": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
    "version": "3.1"
  },
  "epss": 0.2677,
  "exploitation": {
    "known_exploited": true,
    "exploit_available": false,
    "attack_complexity": "low",
    "kev_added": "2024-07-30",
    "prerequisites": "The attacker needs directory rights to create groups, and the host must be joined to Active Directory."
  },
  "remediation": {
    "patch_available": true
  },
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1078"
  ],
  "kill_chain": "privilege_escalation",
  "recommended_action": "Apply the ESXi update from the Broadcom advisory. Until it lands, watch the directory for the admin group being deleted and re-created, which is the whole attack.",
  "confidence": "high",
  "provenance": [
    {
      "fields": [
        "cvss",
        "exploitation.attack_complexity",
        "exploitation.exploit_available",
        "references",
        "published_at"
      ],
      "source": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-37085",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-24T12:52:19.575Z",
      "confidence": "high",
      "extractor": "scrty-crds-pipeline/0.1"
    },
    {
      "fields": [
        "exploitation.known_exploited",
        "exploitation.kev_added"
      ],
      "source": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-24T12:52:19.575Z",
      "confidence": "high",
      "extractor": "scrty-crds-pipeline/0.1"
    },
    {
      "fields": [
        "epss"
      ],
      "source": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2024-37085",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-24T12:52:19.575Z",
      "confidence": "high",
      "extractor": "scrty-crds-pipeline/0.1"
    },
    {
      "fields": [
        "title",
        "summary",
        "severity",
        "remediation",
        "mitre_attack",
        "kill_chain",
        "recommended_action",
        "confidence",
        "tags",
        "exploitation.prerequisites"
      ],
      "source": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-37085",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-24T12:52:19.575Z",
      "confidence": "high",
      "extractor": "claude-code"
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "cve",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-37085",
      "label": "NVD record"
    },
    {
      "type": "cisa",
      "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog",
      "label": "CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog"
    },
    {
      "type": "vendor_advisory",
      "url": "https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/24505"
    }
  ],
  "published_at": "2024-06-25T15:15:12.377Z",
  "issued_at": "2026-09-24T12:52:19.575Z",
  "tags": [
    "vmware",
    "esxi",
    "active-directory",
    "authentication-bypass",
    "ransomware",
    "kev"
  ]
}