Host must enable the highest version of TLS supported

MediumLevel 1Automatedvmware

Description

The host should be configured to operate using the highest version of TLS supported to ensure secure communications. ESXi 8, by default, comes with TLS 1.2 enabled, although re-enabling other protocols is possible if required. Employing the highest version of TLS aids in protecting against known vulnerabilities present in older versions. The audit reads UserVars.ESXiVPsDisabledProtocols with esxcli and requires sslv3, tlsv1 and tlsv1.1 to be listed. Runs in the ESXi Shell (busybox sh) as root.

How it is checked

Audit method: Shell command

shell

out=$(esxcli system settings advanced list -o /UserVars/ESXiVPsDisabledProtocols 2>/dev/null) || exit 1
v=$(printf '%s\n' "$out" | sed -n 's/^ *String Value: *//p' | head -n 1)
if printf "%s" "$v" | tr "A-Z" "a-z" | tr -d " " | tr "," "\n" | grep -qx sslv3 && printf "%s" "$v" | tr "A-Z" "a-z" | tr -d " " | tr "," "\n" | grep -qx tlsv1 && printf "%s" "$v" | tr "A-Z" "a-z" | tr -d " " | tr "," "\n" | grep -qx "tlsv1[.]1"; then echo compliant; else echo "/UserVars/ESXiVPsDisabledProtocols = '$v' (expected sslv3,tlsv1,tlsv1.1 disabled)"; fi

Expected output: compliant

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

Disable unsupported/legacy protocol versions using Broadcom-supported TLS configuration procedures for ESXi 8 and dependent services. Test vCenter, backup, monitoring, and API integrations before broad deployment.

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: vmwareesximanagement
Reference: CIS VMware ESXi 9.0 Benchmark v1.0.0 - 3.26 Host must enable the highest version of TLS supported

Check this host

Run this on a machine you are allowed to audit. The scan is read-only.

shell

tmaegis scan --target vmware