Is CVE-2023-34060 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-34060 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-34060 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-34060 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-34060?

CVE-2023-34060 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-34060

CRITICAL

CVE-2023-34060

CWE-306Published: November 14, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

VMware Cloud Director Appliance contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in case VMware Cloud Director Appliance was upgraded to 10.5 from

an older version. On an upgraded version of VMware Cloud Director Appliance 10.5, a malicious actor with network access to the appliance can bypass login

restrictions when authenticating on port 22 (ssh) or port 5480 (appliance management console) . This bypass is not present on port 443 (VCD provider

and tenant login). On a new installation of VMware Cloud Director Appliance 10.5, the bypass is not present. VMware Cloud Director Appliance is impacted since it uses an affected version of sssd from the underlying Photon OS. The sssd issue is no longer present in versions of Photon OS that ship with sssd-2.8.1-11 or higher (Photon OS 3) or sssd-2.8.2-9 or higher (Photon OS 4 and 5).

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

VMware Cloud Director appliances upgraded to version 10.5 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting SSH and management console ports. This flaw allows an attacker with network access to bypass login restrictions and gain unauthorized access. The issue stems from an outdated sssd component in the underlying Photon OS.

No public exploit is known, and the vulnerability is not in the CISA KEV. It is remotely exploitable with low complexity.

Recommended Action

Update the underlying Photon OS to a version containing sssd-2.8.1-11 or higher. Ensure that management ports are not exposed to untrusted networks.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-34060 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.