Although a patch has been available by VMware since May 25, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Cyber Command this week urged users of VMware to update and apply a fix to software that is used to manage virtual machines in data centers.

The warning states, “Please patch immediately!” It is reported that hackers have already been leveraging the flaw, which allows them to remotely execute code and infiltrate environments running VMware’s server management software. The flaws are in VMware vCenter Server and VMware Cloud Foundation products.

Users and administrators of these VMware products are encouraged to “review VMware’s VMSA-2021-010, blogpost, and FAQs for more information about the vulnerability and apply the necessary updates as soon as possible, even if out-of-cycle work is required. If an organization cannot immediately apply the updates, then apply the workarounds in the interim.”

These urgent warnings from both VMware and CISA merit consideration and prompt attention.

Photo of Linn Foster Freedman Linn Foster Freedman

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her…

Linn Freedman practices in data privacy and security law, cybersecurity, and complex litigation. She is a member of the Business Litigation Group and the Financial Services Cyber-Compliance Team, and chairs the firm’s Data Privacy and Security and Artificial Intelligence Teams. Linn focuses her practice on compliance with all state and federal privacy and security laws and regulations. She counsels a range of public and private clients from industries such as construction, education, health care, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, utilities and critical infrastructure, marine and charitable organizations, on state and federal data privacy and security investigations, as well as emergency data breach response and mitigation. Linn is an Adjunct Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity at Brown University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law.  Prior to joining the firm, Linn served as assistant attorney general and deputy chief of the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Rhode Island. She earned her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Read her full rc.com bio here.