VMware Workspace ONE Freemarker Server-side Template Injection

name: VMware Workspace ONE Freemarker Server-side Template Injection
id: 9e5726fe-8fde-460e-bd74-cddcf6c86113
version: 8
date: '2026-03-23'
author: Michael Haag, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: |
    The following analytic detects server-side template injection attempts related to CVE-2022-22954 in VMware Workspace ONE.
    It leverages web or proxy logs to identify HTTP GET requests to the endpoint catalog-portal/ui/oauth/verify with the freemarker.template.utility.Execute command.
    This activity is significant as it indicates potential exploitation attempts that could lead to remote code execution.
    If confirmed malicious, an attacker could execute arbitrary commands on the server, leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the network.
data_source:
    - Palo Alto Network Threat
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
             count min(_time) as firstTime
                   max(_time) as lastTime

    FROM datamodel=Web WHERE
    Web.http_method="GET"
    Web.url="*/catalog-portal/ui/oauth/verify?error=&deviceudid=*"
    Web.url="*freemarker.template.utility.Execute*"
    BY Web.http_user_agent Web.http_method
       Web.url Web.url_length
       Web.src Web.dest sourcetype
    | `drop_dm_object_name("Web")`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `vmware_workspace_one_freemarker_server_side_template_injection_filter`
how_to_implement: |
    To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting web or proxy logs, or ensure it is being filled by a proxy like device, into the Web Datamodel. For additional filtering, allow list private IP space or restrict by known good.
known_false_positives: |
    False positives may be present if the activity is blocked or was not successful.
    Filter known vulnerability scanners. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts/aa22-138b
    - https://github.com/wvu/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/http/vmware_workspace_one_access_cve_2022_22954.rb
    - https://github.com/sherlocksecurity/VMware-CVE-2022-22954
    - https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0011.html
    - https://attackerkb.com/topics/BDXyTqY1ld/cve-2022-22954/rapid7-analysis
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: An attempt to exploit a VMware Server Side Injection CVE-2022-22954 on $dest$ has occurred.
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - VMware Server Side Injection and Privilege Escalation
    asset_type: Web Server
    cve:
        - CVE-2022-22954
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1190
        - T1133
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: network
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1190/vmware/vmware_scanning_pan_threat.log
          source: not_applicable
          sourcetype: pan:threat