How severe is CVE-2021-22040?

CVE-2021-22040 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-22040 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-22040?

CVE-2021-22040 primarily affects Vmware Cloud Foundation. In total, 172 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-22040?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-22040 published?

CVE-2021-22040 was published on 2022-02-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-22040

CVE-2021-22040 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Vmware Cloud Foundation with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.7)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (49th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Vmware Cloud Foundation
Published: 2022-02-16
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a use-after-free vulnerability in the XHCI USB controller. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-22040?: VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a use-after-free vulnerability in the XHCI USB controller. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host.
How severe is CVE-2021-22040?: CVE-2021-22040 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-22040 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-22040?: CVE-2021-22040 primarily affects Vmware Cloud Foundation. In total, 172 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22040?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-22040 published?: CVE-2021-22040 was published on 2022-02-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0004.html

Affected products (172)

cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation_player:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation_pro:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.5:650-202202401:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201806001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201807001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201808001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810001:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810101:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810102:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810103:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810201:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810202:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810203:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810204:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810205:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810206:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810207:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810208:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810209:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810210:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810211:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810212:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810213:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810214:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810215:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810216:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810217:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810218:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810219:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810220:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810221:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810222:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810223:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810224:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810225:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.7:670-201810226:*:*:*:*:*:*

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