Patch first › VMware (Broadcom)
CVE-2021-21975
VMware (Broadcom) Aria Operations (ex-vRealize Operations) · Monitoring, ITSM and asset management
VMware Server Side Request Forgery in vRealize Operations Manager API
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on January 18, 2022.
Used in ransomware attacks, according to CISA.
Affected product: VMware (Broadcom) Aria Operations (ex-vRealize Operations) (category Monitoring, ITSM and asset management, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: VMware vRealize Operations Manager API.
What should I do?
Apply the security update from VMware (Broadcom).
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 14 days (due February 1, 2022). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- VMware (Broadcom) security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2021-21975 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Timeline
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on January 18, 2022 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- Known use Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the security update from VMware (Broadcom). Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- February 1, 2022, 14 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- March 31, 2021 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- VMware vRealize Operations Manager API Filed by this site under “Monitoring, ITSM and asset management” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
Server Side Request Forgery in vRealize Operations Manager API (CVE-2021-21975) prior to 8.4 may allow a malicious actor with network access to the vRealize Operations Manager API can perform a Server Side Request Forgery attack to steal administrative credentials.
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in vRealize Operations Manager API prior to 8.4 may allow a malicious actor with network access to the vRealize Operations Manager API to perform a SSRF attack to steal administrative credentials.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).