[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fvTFO-Nc3we47CuwFLEJjZg0rAoJIstqMUJqSZxy-fkI":3},{"article":4,"iocs":52,"watch_terms":80,"solutions":81,"lesson":176},{"id":5,"title":6,"slug":7,"summary":8,"ai_summary":9,"brief":10,"url":11,"image_url":12,"published_at":13,"ingested_at":14,"relevance_score":15,"entities":16,"category_id":29,"category":30,"article_tags":34},"2f481667-2cc1-4271-a00f-4667fe0026f1","New GhostFrame Malware Lets Hackers Hijack VMware ESXi VMs and Steal Windows Credentials","new-ghostframe-malware-lets-hackers-hijack-vmware-esxi-vms-and-steal-windows-cre-35f8d1","A new hacking toolkit called GhostFrame gives criminals a single control panel for taking over VMware ESXi servers and the virtual machines that run on them. Researchers at Recorded Future’s Insikt Group found the framework while tracking a group named TAG-218, whose activity overlaps with Settra ransomware. The tool can also pull Windows passwords out […] The post New GhostFrame Malware Lets Hackers Hijack VMware ESXi VMs and Steal Windows Credentials appeared first on Cyber Security News.","A new toolkit named GhostFrame enables attackers to control VMware ESXi servers and their virtual machines, with capabilities to steal Windows credentials without installing malware inside the guest VMs. Researchers discovered the framework while tracking a group named TAG-218, which has connections to Settra ransomware. The tool operates by gaining root access to the ESXi host and then disabling security features, allowing it to persist across reboots and establish command and control.","New GhostFrame malware allows attackers to hijack VMware ESXi servers and steal Windows credentials.","https:\u002F\u002Fcybersecuritynews.com\u002Fghostframe-malware-hijack-vmware-esxi\u002F","https:\u002F\u002Fcybersecuritynews.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F11\u002FGhostFrame-Malware-Hijack-VMware-ESXi-VMs.webp","2026-11-11T04:26:25+00:00","2026-11-11T05:00:33.049854+00:00",8,[17,20,23,25,27],{"name":18,"type":19},"TAG-218","threat_actor",{"name":21,"type":22},"VMware ESXi","product",{"name":24,"type":22},"SonicWall",{"name":26,"type":22},"Palo Alto Networks",{"name":28,"type":22},"Fortinet","89f78b1c-3503-45a1-9fc7-e23d2ce1c6d5",{"id":29,"icon":31,"name":32,"slug":33},null,"Malware","malware",[35,40,45,47],{"category":36},{"id":37,"icon":31,"name":38,"slug":39},"26b0b636-0e31-4db1-bffb-61bdf9f20a58","Supply Chain","supply-chain",{"category":41},{"id":42,"icon":31,"name":43,"slug":44},"80544778-fabb-4dcd-aa35-17492e5dcf4f","Vulnerabilities","vulnerabilities",{"category":46},{"id":29,"icon":31,"name":32,"slug":33},{"category":48},{"id":49,"icon":31,"name":50,"slug":51},"e7b231c8-5f79-4465-8d38-1ef13aea5a14","Threat Intelligence","threat-intelligence",[53,56,59,62,66,68,70,72,74,77],{"type":33,"value":54,"context":55},"GhostFrame","Name of the new hacking toolkit.",{"type":33,"value":57,"context":58},"vmhostd-core","Name of the ESXi implant created by GhostFrame.",{"type":33,"value":60,"context":61},"VMkatz","Open-source tool included in GhostFrame for stealing secrets from VM memory.",{"type":63,"value":64,"context":65},"ip","2222","Network port used by GhostFrame implant to reach command server.",{"type":63,"value":67,"context":65},"3389",{"type":63,"value":69,"context":65},"4444",{"type":63,"value":71,"context":65},"8443",{"type":63,"value":73,"context":65},"9443",{"type":33,"value":75,"context":76},"gfsox","SOCKS5 proxy tool within GhostFrame.",{"type":33,"value":78,"context":79},"sdkmon","Component within GhostFrame that captures ESXi login credentials.",[21,24,26],{"controls":82,"vendors":169},[83,111,140],{"slug":84,"name":85,"problem":86,"products":87},"privileged-access-management","Privileged access management (PAM)","Admin accounts stop being one stolen password away from control of everything.",[88,96,104],{"vendor_slug":89,"vendor_name":90,"vendor_logo":91,"product_slug":92,"product_name":93,"url":94,"description":95},"beyondtrust","BeyondTrust","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fbeyondtrust.png","password-safe","BeyondTrust Password Safe","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.beyondtrust.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fpassword-safe","Privileged password and session management.",{"vendor_slug":97,"vendor_name":98,"vendor_logo":99,"product_slug":100,"product_name":101,"url":102,"description":103},"delinea","Delinea","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fdelinea.png","secret-server","Delinea Secret Server","https:\u002F\u002Fdelinea.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fsecret-server","Vault for privileged credentials with discovery, rotation and session recording.",{"vendor_slug":105,"vendor_name":26,"vendor_logo":106,"product_slug":107,"product_name":108,"url":109,"description":110},"palo-alto-networks","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fpalo-alto-networks.png","idira-privileged-access-management","Idira Privileged Access Management","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.paloaltonetworks.com\u002Fidira\u002Fhuman\u002Fprivileged-access-management","Privileged access management from the former CyberArk portfolio: vaulting, rotation, just-in-time access and session monitoring.",{"slug":112,"name":113,"problem":114,"products":115},"endpoint-detection-response","Endpoint detection and response (EDR and XDR)","Malware and hands-on-keyboard attackers on laptops and servers get spotted and stopped.",[116,124,132],{"vendor_slug":117,"vendor_name":118,"vendor_logo":119,"product_slug":120,"product_name":121,"url":122,"description":123},"elastic","Elastic","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Felastic.png","elastic-security","Elastic Security","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elastic.co\u002Fsecurity","SIEM and endpoint security built on Elasticsearch, with open detection rules.",{"vendor_slug":125,"vendor_name":126,"vendor_logo":127,"product_slug":128,"product_name":129,"url":130,"description":131},"sentinelone","SentinelOne","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fsentinelone.png","singularity-endpoint","Singularity Endpoint","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sentinelone.com\u002Fplatform\u002Fendpoint-security\u002F","Endpoint protection and detection with automated response and rollback.",{"vendor_slug":133,"vendor_name":134,"vendor_logo":135,"product_slug":136,"product_name":137,"url":138,"description":139},"microsoft","Microsoft","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fmicrosoft.png","defender-for-endpoint","Microsoft Defender for Endpoint","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fsecurity\u002Fbusiness\u002Fendpoint-security\u002Fmicrosoft-defender-endpoint","Endpoint detection and response for Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile devices.",{"slug":141,"name":142,"problem":143,"products":144},"network-detection-response","Network detection and response (NDR)","Attackers moving between systems inside the network get seen.",[145,153,161],{"vendor_slug":146,"vendor_name":147,"vendor_logo":148,"product_slug":149,"product_name":150,"url":151,"description":152},"vectra-ai","Vectra AI","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fvectra-ai.png","vectra-ai-platform","Vectra AI Platform","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vectra.ai\u002Fplatform","Detection of attacker behaviour across network, identity and cloud.",{"vendor_slug":154,"vendor_name":155,"vendor_logo":156,"product_slug":157,"product_name":158,"url":159,"description":160},"darktrace","Darktrace","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fdarktrace.png","darktrace-network","Darktrace \u002F NETWORK","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darktrace.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fhybrid-network","Network detection and response based on learning normal behaviour.",{"vendor_slug":162,"vendor_name":163,"vendor_logo":164,"product_slug":165,"product_name":166,"url":167,"description":168},"corelight","Corelight","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Fcorelight.png","open-ndr","Corelight Open NDR","https:\u002F\u002Fcorelight.com\u002Fplatform\u002F","Network detection and response based on Zeek and Suricata.",[170],{"slug":171,"name":172,"logo_path":173,"roles":174},"recorded-future","Recorded Future","\u002Fvendor-logos\u002Frecorded-future.png",[175],"reported_by",{"slug":177,"title":178,"body":179,"framework_refs":180,"framework_notes":186},"ghostframe-exploits-esxi-root-access-to-hijack-vms-and-steal-credentials","GhostFrame Exploits ESXi Root Access to Hijack VMs and Steal Credentials","The GhostFrame toolkit demonstrates how gaining root-level access to a VMware ESXi hypervisor can compromise every virtual machine running on it, without ever touching the guest OS — bypassing traditional endpoint security entirely. The attackers disabled security features at the hypervisor level and established persistence across reboots, meaning standard remediation steps like rebooting a VM would not remove the threat. This matters because hypervisors are high-value, often under-monitored targets: compromise one, and you effectively own the entire virtualized estate. Organizations frequently harden guest VMs while neglecting the security posture of the underlying hypervisor host itself.",[181,182,183,184,185],"CIS Control 4: Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software","CIS Control 6: Access Control Management","NIST SP 800-53 AC-6: Least Privilege","MITRE ATT&CK T1562: Impair Defenses","NIS2 Article 21(2)(i)",{"NIS2 Article 21(2)(i)":187,"MITRE ATT&CK T1562: Impair Defenses":188,"NIST SP 800-53 AC-6: Least Privilege":189,"CIS Control 6: Access Control Management":190,"CIS Control 4: Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software":191},"This point requires organizations to enforce access control and asset management policies; proper restriction of privileged access to hypervisor infrastructure would have been a direct control against this attack.","GhostFrame explicitly disables ESXi security features after gaining root access, which is the core behavior this technique documents — adversaries impairing host defenses to enable persistence and evade detection.","Restricting root-level ESXi access to only those accounts and processes that strictly require it would have limited the attacker's ability to disable security controls and persist on the host.","Root access to the ESXi host was the prerequisite for the entire attack chain; enforcing least-privilege and tightly controlling privileged accounts on hypervisors is exactly what this control mandates.","GhostFrame succeeded in disabling ESXi security features, which a hardened, baseline-enforced configuration — as required by this control — would have made significantly harder to achieve silently."]