CVE-2016-5333: Critical severity vmware photon os vulnerability

Published Aug 31, 2016
·
Updated

VMware Photos OS OVA 1.0 before 2016-08-14 has a default SSH public key in an authorizedkeys file, which allows remote attackers to obtain SSH access by leveraging knowledge of the private key.

Affected Software

1 affected component
VMware Photon OS<=1.0

Event History

Aug 31, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:00 AM
Description
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-5333?

CVE-2016-5333 is considered a high severity vulnerability due to its potential for allowing unauthorized SSH access.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-5333?

To mitigate CVE-2016-5333, you should replace the default SSH public key in the authorized_keys file with a unique key.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2016-5333?

CVE-2016-5333 affects users of VMware Photon OS version 1.0 before the patch released on 2016-08-14.

4

What type of attack does CVE-2016-5333 enable?

CVE-2016-5333 enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized SSH access using the default public key.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2016-5333 before applying a fix?

While the best approach is to update the system, a temporary workaround includes disabling SSH access until a proper key rotation is performed.

Contact

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