Brute force password guessing detected for NSX-T service account - VMware NSX
Article ID: 453290
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
- A security monitoring tool or SOC detects a "VMware - Brute Force Password Guessing" attack on a Management domain NSX-T node.
- The target is a service account (e.g., ####) used for integrations like Aria Operations for Networks (vRNI).
- System health in integrated tools may show as "Green" or "Valid" despite the security alerts.
Environment
- VMware NSX-T Manager
- VCF Operations for Networks
Cause
Security events are often triggered by the incoming requests of a specific service account configured within an integration. Mismatched credentials, FIPS mode conflicts, or incorrect RBAC roles can cause repeated authentication failures that manifest as brute-force guessing alerts in security monitors.
Resolution
Validate the authentication events directly on the NSX-T Manager node to identify the source IP and the specific process calling the service account:
- Check the reverse proxy log to identify the client IP and the specific API endpoint being accessed:
grep "####" /var/log/proxy/reverse-proxy.log
Review the client IP address (appearing alongside the POST or GET request). If the IP belongs to a server other than the expected collector, that server is the true source of the traffic. - Review access control failures in the syslog to confirm timestamps:
grep "ACCESS_CONTROL" /var/log/syslog | grep "failure"
Cross-reference these timestamps with the brute force alert timestamps from the security monitor. - Check the NSX API log for details on API-based authentication attempts:
grep "####" /var/log/proton/nsxapi.log - Verify if the account is configured in "hidden" sources such as:
- vCenter Server plugins or User & Groups integrations.
- Aria Operations (vROps).
- Identity Firewall (IDFW) Event Log Scrapers.
If the issue is confirmed as a false positive due to integration, synchronize the credentials in the source application (e.g., vRNI Data Source settings).
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