Information
The Shell Action feature should be disabled if it is not needed.
Rationale:
Some VMX parameters don't apply on vSphere because VMware virtual machines work on vSphere and hosted virtualization platforms such as Workstation and Fusion. The code paths for these features are not implemented in ESXi. Explicitly disabling these features, such as the Shell Action feature, reduces the potential for vulnerabilities because it reduces the number of ways in which a guest can affect the host. Note that these are referenced for organizations that insist any documented setting, regardless of whether it is implemented in code or not, must have a value.
Impact:
Some automated tools and processes may cease to function.
Solution
To disable the Shell Action feature, run the following PowerCLI command:
# Add the setting to all VMs
Get-VM | New-AdvancedSetting -Name 'isolation.ghi.host.shellAction.disable' -value $true