# CVE-2022-22956: VMware Workspace ONE Access - Authentication Bypass

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2022-22956 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-22956

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 9.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** VMware Workspace ONE Access
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)
- **Tags:** enterprise_software

## Description

VMware Workspace ONE Access has two authentication bypass vulnerabilities (CVE-2022-22955 & CVE-2022-22956) in the OAuth2 ACS framework. A malicious actor may bypass the authentication mechanism and execute any operation due to exposed endpoints in the authentication framework.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2022-22956](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2022-22956) is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in VMware Workspace ONE Access, specifically within the OAuth2 ACS framework. This flaw allows attackers to exploit exposed endpoints to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary operations, potentially leading to full system compromise.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 29th of October 2025.

CrowdSec network observations suggest that most exploitation of CVE-2022-22956 involves focused reconnaissance to identify viable targets. Attackers typically tailor their campaigns based on system exposure and configuration. It is unlikely that a given attack is accidental.
Data from the CrowdSec community also indicates a gradual decrease in attacks targeting CVE-2022-22956. While still present in the wild, exploitation levels have dropped noticeably week-over-week. This may signal that the vulnerability is becoming less relevant or that defenses are improving fast enough for attackers to lose interest.

Attackers exploit authentication bypass vulnerabilities by sending crafted POST requests to endpoints such as `/SAAS/API/1.0/REST/oauth2/generateActivationToken/Service__OAuth2Client`, `/SAAS/API/1.0/REST/oauth2/activate`, and `/SAAS/auth/oauthtoken` to obtain unauthorized access tokens and perform privileged operations.

## Timeline

- 2022-04-13: CVE Published. CVE-2022-22956 is published to NVD.
- 2025-10-29: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2022-22956 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2025-11-05: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2022-22956 for the first time.

## References

- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171918/VMware-Workspace-ONE-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0011.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171918/Mware-Workspace-ONE-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-22956.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-22956) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2022-22956. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.