CVE-2021-22045

VMware ESXi (7.0, 6.7 before ESXi670-202111101-SG and 6.5 before ESXi650-202110101-SG), VMware Workstation (16.2.0) and VMware Fusion (12.2.0) contains a heap-overflow vulnerability in CD-ROM device emulation. A malicious actor with access to a virtual machine with CD-ROM device emulation may be able to exploit this vulnerability in conjunction with other issues to execute code on the hypervisor from a virtual machine.

Published: 2022-01-04 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2021-22045 is rated High Risk (67.2/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 4.68%, 91th percentile). EPSS ranks this CVE among the most likely to be exploited in the near term. EPSS rose +4.27% over the last day, indicating growing attacker interest. High exploitation likelihood—assess exposure and prioritize remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2021-22045

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.41% 4.68% +4.27%
2 2026-05-16 2.10% 0.41% -1.69%
3 2025-12-08 — 2.10% —

Full EPSS history (16 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-22045

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.1 6.0 [email protected]
6.9 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand
Access vector (AV:L)
Requires local access to the target system.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C)
Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C)
Complete availability impact.
 3.4 10.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-22045

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-22045

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vmware cloud_foundation >= 3.0, <= 3.10.2.2 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware cloud_foundation >= 4.0, <= 4.3.1 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware workstation >= 16.0.0, < 16.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware fusion >= 12.0.0, < 12.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201701001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201703001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201703002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201704001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707103:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707211:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707212:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707213:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707214:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707215:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707216:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707217:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707218:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707219:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707220:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201707221:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201710001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201712001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201803001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201806001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201808001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201810001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201810002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201811301:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201901001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201903001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201905001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201908001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201910001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-20191004001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201911001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201911401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201911402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912103:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912104:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912301:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-201912404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202005001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202006001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202007001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202010001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202011001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202011002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202102001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202102002:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202102003:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202107401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201806001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201807001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201808001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.7 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810102:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2021-22045

cvelogic Threat Intelligence