CVE-2023-34048

Description

vCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds write potentially leading to remote code execution.

Overview

State: PUBLISHED
Assigner (CNA): vmware
CVSS severity: CRITICAL
CVSS score: 9.8 / 10
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Effective score: 9.8 / 10 CRITICAL source: CNA overview
CWE(s): —
Reserved: 2023-05-25
Published: 2023-10-25 06:21 UTC
Last updated: 2025-10-22 01:05 UTC
Source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2023/34xxx/CVE-2023-34048.json
Linked Threat: CVE-2023-34048 — Rule 2687428 VMware vCenter DCERPC Out-of-Bounds Write (CVE-2023-34048)

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities CISA KEV

CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation of this CVE. Federal agencies must remediate by the due date below; private orgs should treat it as priority-1.

Vulnerability name: VMware vCenter Server Out-of-Bounds Write Vulnerability
Vendor / project: VMware
Product: vCenter Server
Date added to KEV: 2024-01-22
Remediation due: 2024-02-12
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Ransomware campaign use: Unknown
CISA notes: https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34048
CISA listing: www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

NVD triage scoring NVD CVE 2.0

Layer NVD adds on top of the CNA's CVE record — published / last-modified timestamps, exploitability / impact subscores, and the FIRST.org EPSS probability that this CVE will be exploited in the wild in the next 30 days.

NVD published: 2023-10-25 18:17:27 UTC
NVD last modified: 2026-06-17 06:02:47 UTC
NVD CVSS v3.1: 9.8 / 10 CRITICAL source: security@vmware.com
NVD CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploitability subscore: 3.9 / 10
Impact subscore: 5.9 / 10
EPSS score: 0.9943 (probability of exploitation in next 30 days)
EPSS percentile: 99.94% vs all CVEs — higher = more likely to be exploited, as of 2026-07-26

NVD-assigned CWE(s): CWE-787 (differs from the CNA list above)

European Union Vulnerability Database ENISA EUVD

ENISA's official EU repository for curated vulnerability intelligence. Carries a separate identifier (EUVD-YYYY-NNNN) and frequently exposes an earlier-published description + CVSS than NVD does.

EUVD ID: EUVD-2023-38166
Assigner: vmware
Published: Oct 25, 2023, 4:21:42 AM
Updated: Oct 21, 2025, 11:05:33 PM
EUVD base score (CVSS 3.1): 9.8 / 10
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EUVD-reported EPSS: 93.2100
Vendors: VMware
Products: VMware Cloud Foundation (VMware vCenter Server) (4.x)

VMware vCenter Server (8.0 <8.0U2)

VMware vCenter Server (7.0 <7.0U3o)

VMware Cloud Foundation (VMware vCenter Server) (5.x)
Aliases: GHSA-87j2-5g9j-7jmv

ENISA description: vCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds write potentially leading to remote code execution.

EUVD references (1)

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html

Affected products (2)

Vendor	Product	Versions	Platforms
VMware	VMware vCenter Server	`8.0` (affected), `7.0` (affected)	Linux
VMware	VMware Cloud Foundation (VMware vCenter Server)	`5.x` (affected), `4.x` (affected)	Linux

Affected products — CPE 2.3 (37) NVD

NVD's normalized CPE 2.3 matchers, used by vendor tools (vulnerability scanners, asset managers) for automated detection. Compare with the CNA's free-text "Affected products" section above.

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:b:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:c:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:d:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update1a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update1c:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update1d:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update2a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update2b:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update2c:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update2d:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3c:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3d:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3e:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3f:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3g:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3h:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3i:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3j:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3k:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3l:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3m:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:7.0:update3n:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:b:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:c:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:update1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:update1a:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:update1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:8.0:update1c:*:*:*:*:*:*

Vendor references (1)

References embedded in the original CVE record by the assigning CNA.

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html

MITRE references (1) cveawg.mitre.org

Pulled from MITRE's CVE Services API by the 🛰 Backfill from MITRE button.

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html

Web references (0)

DuckDuckGo results ranked by threat-intel / vendor advisory domains. Generated by the 🔎 Find references (web) button above — same flow as the Remediations search.

No web references attached yet.

NVD-tagged references (4)

Reference list NVD curates from the CNA record, vendor advisories, and third-party reports. The tag chips below are NVD's analyst-assigned categories.

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-34048 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 US Government Resource
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/understanding-cve-2023-34048-a-zero-day-out-of-bound-write-in-vcenter-server af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 ExploitThird Party Advisory
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html security@vmware.com Vendor Advisory
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0023.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 Vendor Advisory

Remediations (8)

Remediations are stored against the linked Threat row; the list below is deduplicated across both pages.

CVE-2023-34048 - Vulnerability Details - OpenCVE

web:app.opencve.io

vCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds write potentially leading to remote code execution.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
Nvd - Cve-2023-34048

web:nvd.nist.gov

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
Security Update Guide - Microsoft

web:portal.msrc.microsoft.com

The Security Update Guide provides information on the latest Microsoft security updates, helping users understand and address potential vulnerabilities effectively.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
Act Now: VMware Releases Patch for Critical vCenter Server RCE ...

web:thehackernews.com

VMware has released security updates to address a critical flaw in the vCenter Server that could result in remote code execution on affected systems. The issue, tracked as CVE-2023-34048 (CVSS score: 9.8), has been described as an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCE ...

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
Microsoft October 2024 Patch Tuesday fixes 5 zero-days, 118 flaws

web:www.bleepingcomputer.com

Today is Microsoft's October 2024 Patch Tuesday, which includes security updates for 118 flaws, including five publicly disclosed zero-days, two of which are actively exploited.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
CVE Record: CVE-2023-34048

web:www.cve.org

Description vCenter Server contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. A malicious actor with network access to vCenter Server may trigger an out-of-bounds write potentially leading to remote code execution.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
Microsoft Technical Security Notifications

web:www.microsoft.com

Security Update Guide Notifications Microsoft's free Security Update Guide Notifications provide links to security-related software updates and notification of re-released security updates. These notifications are sent via email throughout the month as needed.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC
CVE-2023-34048: VMware vCenter Server RCE Vulnerability - SentinelOne

web:www.sentinelone.com

CVE-2023-34048 is a remote code execution vulnerability in VMware vCenter Server. Learn about its impact, affected versions, and mitigation methods.

2026-05-14 19:50 UTC

AI Forensic Analysis

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Raw JSON

The full cvelistV5 record. Download as CVE-2023-34048.json.

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