1. Introduction
The VMware vRealize Automation Web UI Detection identifies instances running an administrative interface for a cloud automation application. This matters because these interfaces often provide powerful access to virtual infrastructure and applications, making them attractive targets for attackers. Affected systems are typically those using VMware’s vRealize Automation product. A successful attack could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of managed resources.
2. Technical Explanation
The vulnerability occurs because the web UI is present on a network accessible server. An attacker can attempt to access this interface to gain administrative control. Accessing the UI requires HTTP basic authentication credentials; however, default or weak credentials are often used. There is no known CVE associated with simply detecting the presence of the vRealize Automation Web UI. A realistic example would be an attacker enumerating exposed services and attempting to log in using common usernames and passwords.
- Root cause: The administrative web interface is running on a publicly accessible server.
- Exploit mechanism: An attacker attempts to access the web UI via HTTP or HTTPS, then tries to authenticate with known credentials.
- Scope: VMware vRealize Automation virtual appliance installations.
3. Detection and Assessment
Confirming a vulnerable system involves checking for the presence of the web interface and its version. A quick check can be done via a browser or port scan, while thorough assessment requires authentication.
- Quick checks: Use a web browser to access the server’s default HTTPS port (443) and look for a vRealize Automation login page.
- Scanning: Nessus plugin ID 16879 can identify the presence of VMware vRealize Automation. This is an example only, results may vary.
- Logs and evidence: Web server access logs may show requests to paths associated with the vRealize Automation UI (e.g., /ui).
curl -I https://{target_ip} 4. Solution / Remediation Steps
Fixing this issue involves securing access to the web interface or removing it if not needed.
4.1 Preparation
- Ensure you have valid credentials for rollback. A roll back plan is to restore from the pre-change snapshot.
- Changes should be made during a scheduled maintenance window with appropriate approvals.
4.2 Implementation
- Step 1: Change the default administrator password immediately. Use a strong, unique password.
- Step 2: Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative accounts if possible.
- Step 3: Restrict access to the web UI using firewall rules, allowing only trusted IP addresses or networks.
4.3 Config or Code Example
Before
Default administrator password in use.After
Strong, unique password set for administrator account. MFA enabled where possible. Access restricted by firewall rules.4.4 Security Practices Relevant to This Vulnerability
List only practices that directly address this vulnerability type. Use neutral wording and examples instead of fixed advice. For example: least privilege, input validation, safe defaults, secure headers, patch cadence.
- Practice 1: Least privilege – limit access to the vRealize Automation interface to only those users who require it.
- Practice 2: Strong authentication – enforce strong passwords and MFA for all administrative accounts.
4.5 Automation (Optional)
# Example PowerShell script to check administrator password complexity (requires VMware PowerCLI module)
# This is an example only and may require modification for your environment.
# Get-VMwareAutomationAdminAccount | Where-Object {$_.PasswordComplexity -eq "Weak"} 5. Verification / Validation
Confirm the fix by verifying the new password strength, MFA status, and firewall rules.
- Post-fix check: Attempt to log in with the old default credentials – access should be denied.
- Re-test: Re-run the quick check (browser access) and confirm that authentication is required.
- Monitoring: Monitor web server logs for failed login attempts from untrusted IP addresses as an example alert.
curl -I https://{target_ip} 6. Preventive Measures and Monitoring
Suggest only measures that are relevant to the vulnerability type. Use “for example” to keep advice conditional, not prescriptive.
- Baselines: Update security baselines to include requirements for strong passwords and MFA on administrative interfaces.
- Pipelines: Include checks in CI/CD pipelines to ensure new deployments do not use default credentials or insecure configurations.
- Asset and patch process: Review the configuration of vRealize Automation instances regularly as part of a vulnerability management program.
7. Risks, Side Effects, and Roll Back
- Risk or side effect 2: Changing passwords may disrupt existing automation scripts – update scripts accordingly.
- Roll back: Restore from the pre-change snapshot, revert firewall changes, and reinstate the old password (if necessary).
8. References and Resources
- Vendor advisory or bulletin: https://www.vmware.com/ca/products/vrealize-automation.html