vCenter Server certificate store security architecture and access controls

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When reviewing vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) certificate security for compliance purposes, you require detailed information about how the certificate authority store protects private keys and restricts access. Your security team needs to understand the certificate enclave encryption mechanisms and access control architecture before approving vCenter deployments. The existing vCenter Server Certificate Store Guide provides operational procedures but lacks the security implementation details necessary for enterprise security reviews and compliance validation.

Descriptions seen for this include:

• "As part of our migration to vSphere/vCenter 8.0u3 our security team wants to review the VCSA appliance's local Certificate Authority store and how it protects the private keys for Enterprise CA certs we will upload"

Environment

Valid for:

• All vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 7.0 builds
• All vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 8.0 builds
• Default VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) certificate configurations
• Custom Enterprise Certificate Authority configurations

Resolution

Security Architecture Overview

vCenter Server implements a security-first architecture where certificate store protection relies on the comprehensive vCenter Server access control framework rather than individual component encryption. The design prioritizes protecting the entire vCenter environment through role-based access controls, authentication mechanisms, and system-level security boundaries. This approach ensures that certificate operations inherit the same security protections as other critical vCenter functions.

Security Implementation Details

1. Access to vCenter Server certificate stores is controlled through vCenter Server role-based permissions and authentication mechanisms.

2. Navigate to Administration > Access Control > Roles in the vSphere Client to review certificate-related permissions.

3. Certificate store operations require Administrator privileges or custom roles with Cryptographer.Access and Cryptographer.Manage permissions.

4. Physical access to certificate store files is restricted through vCenter Server Appliance operating system security controls and file system permissions.

5. vCenter Server stores private keys only for non-Certificate Authority certificates and the local VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA).

6. Enterprise Certificate Authority certificates uploaded to vCenter do not have their private keys stored in vCenter Server.

7. Enterprise CA certificates are used exclusively for certificate validation and establishing trust relationships.

8. Machine SSL and Solution User certificate private keys are stored when custom certificates are uploaded during certificate replacement operations.

9. vCenter validates certificates against uploaded Enterprise CA certificates through standard Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) chain validation.

10. Configure Certificate Revocation List (CRL) checking in Administration > Certificates > Certificate Management for additional validation.

11. Trust relationships are established through the certificate store without requiring Enterprise CA private key access.

Additional Information

• For more information about vCenter Server certificate operations, see vCenter Server certificate store guide.
• For more information about securing vCenter Server systems, see vCenter Server Security Best Practices.
• For more information about TLS configuration, see vSphere TLS Configuration.
• For more information about security hardening and compliance, see vSphere Hardening and Compliance.
• For more information about FIPS compliance, see vCenter Server and FIPS.
• For more information about DISA STIG compliance, see About DISA STIGs.
• For more information about VMware security best practices, see VMware Security Hardening Guides.