Adversaries may abuse hypervisor command line interpreters (CLIs) to execute malicious commands. Hypervisor CLIs typically enable a wide variety of functionality for managing both the hypervisor itself and the guest virtual machines it hosts.
For example, on ESXi systems, tools such as esxcli and vim-cmd allow administrators to configure firewall rules and log forwarding on the hypervisor, list virtual machines, start and stop virtual machines, and more.[1],[2],[3] Adversaries may be able to leverage these tools in order to support further actions, such as File and Directory Discovery or Data Encrypted for Impact.
References
- Broadcom. (n.d.). ESXCLI Reference. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
- Michael Dawson. (2021, August 30). Hypervisor Jackpotting, Part 2: eCrime Actors Increase Targeting of ESXi Servers with Ransomware. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
- Janantha Marasinghe. (n.d.). Living Off The Land ESXi. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
Kwistjonijiet marbuta
| Tip ta’ link | Kwistjoni |
|---|---|
| is related to | Techniques |
| is blocked by | Detection Strategy for ESXi Hypervisor CLI Abuse |
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