Vulnerabilities > CVE-2005-4459 - Improper Restriction of Operations Within the Bounds of A Memory Buffer vulnerability in VMWare products

047910
CVSS 10.0 - CRITICAL
Attack vector
NETWORK
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
COMPLETE
Integrity impact
COMPLETE
Availability impact
COMPLETE
network
low complexity
vmware
CWE-119
critical
nessus

Summary

Heap-based buffer overflow in the NAT networking components vmnat.exe and vmnet-natd in VMWare Workstation 5.5, GSX Server 3.2, ACE 1.0.1, and Player 1.0 allows remote authenticated attackers, including guests, to execute arbitrary code via crafted (1) EPRT and (2) PORT FTP commands.

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Buffer Overflow via Environment Variables
    This attack pattern involves causing a buffer overflow through manipulation of environment variables. Once the attacker finds that they can modify an environment variable, they may try to overflow associated buffers. This attack leverages implicit trust often placed in environment variables.
  • Overflow Buffers
    Buffer Overflow attacks target improper or missing bounds checking on buffer operations, typically triggered by input injected by an attacker. As a consequence, an attacker is able to write past the boundaries of allocated buffer regions in memory, causing a program crash or potentially redirection of execution as per the attackers' choice.
  • Client-side Injection-induced Buffer Overflow
    This type of attack exploits a buffer overflow vulnerability in targeted client software through injection of malicious content from a custom-built hostile service.
  • Filter Failure through Buffer Overflow
    In this attack, the idea is to cause an active filter to fail by causing an oversized transaction. An attacker may try to feed overly long input strings to the program in an attempt to overwhelm the filter (by causing a buffer overflow) and hoping that the filter does not fail securely (i.e. the user input is let into the system unfiltered).
  • MIME Conversion
    An attacker exploits a weakness in the MIME conversion routine to cause a buffer overflow and gain control over the mail server machine. The MIME system is designed to allow various different information formats to be interpreted and sent via e-mail. Attack points exist when data are converted to MIME compatible format and back.

Nessus

  • NASL familyGentoo Local Security Checks
    NASL idGENTOO_GLSA-200601-04.NASL
    descriptionThe remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-200601-04 (VMware Workstation: Vulnerability in NAT networking) Tim Shelton discovered that vmnet-natd, the host module providing NAT-style networking for VMware guest operating systems, is unable to process incorrect
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id20414
    published2006-01-15
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2006-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/20414
    titleGLSA-200601-04 : VMware Workstation: Vulnerability in NAT networking
    code
    #%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80502
    #
    # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    #
    # The descriptive text and package checks in this plugin were
    # extracted from Gentoo Linux Security Advisory GLSA 200601-04.
    #
    # The advisory text is Copyright (C) 2001-2018 Gentoo Foundation, Inc.
    # and licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution / Share Alike 
    # license. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
    #
    
    include("compat.inc");
    
    if (description)
    {
      script_id(20414);
      script_version("1.14");
      script_cvs_date("Date: 2019/08/02 13:32:43");
    
      script_cve_id("CVE-2005-4459");
      script_xref(name:"GLSA", value:"200601-04");
    
      script_name(english:"GLSA-200601-04 : VMware Workstation: Vulnerability in NAT networking");
      script_summary(english:"Checks for updated package(s) in /var/db/pkg");
    
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"synopsis", 
        value:
    "The remote Gentoo host is missing one or more security-related
    patches."
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"description", 
        value:
    "The remote host is affected by the vulnerability described in GLSA-200601-04
    (VMware Workstation: Vulnerability in NAT networking)
    
        Tim Shelton discovered that vmnet-natd, the host module providing
        NAT-style networking for VMware guest operating systems, is unable to
        process incorrect 'EPRT' and 'PORT' FTP requests.
      
    Impact :
    
        Malicious guest operating systems using the NAT networking feature or
        local VMware Workstation users could exploit this vulnerability to
        execute arbitrary code on the host system with elevated privileges.
      
    Workaround :
    
        Disable the NAT service by following the instructions at http://www.vmware.com/support/k
        b, Answer ID 2002."
      );
      # http://www.vmware.com/support/kb
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"https://kb.vmware.com/support/kb"
      );
      # http://www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2000
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"https://kb.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2000"
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"see_also",
        value:"https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/200601-04"
      );
      script_set_attribute(
        attribute:"solution", 
        value:
    "All VMware Workstation users should upgrade to a fixed version:
        # emerge --sync
        # emerge --ask --oneshot --verbose app-emulation/vmware-workstation"
      );
      script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:gentoo:linux:vmware-workstation");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:gentoo:linux");
    
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2006/01/07");
      script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2006/01/15");
      script_end_attributes();
    
      script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
      script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2006-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");
      script_family(english:"Gentoo Local Security Checks");
    
      script_dependencies("ssh_get_info.nasl");
      script_require_keys("Host/local_checks_enabled", "Host/Gentoo/release", "Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list");
    
      exit(0);
    }
    
    
    include("audit.inc");
    include("global_settings.inc");
    include("qpkg.inc");
    
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/release")) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Gentoo");
    if (!get_kb_item("Host/Gentoo/qpkg-list")) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);
    
    
    flag = 0;
    
    if (qpkg_check(package:"app-emulation/vmware-workstation", unaffected:make_list("ge 5.5.1.19175", "rge 4.5.3.19414", "rge 3.2.1.2242-r10"), vulnerable:make_list("lt 5.5.1.19175"))) flag++;
    
    if (flag)
    {
      if (report_verbosity > 0) security_hole(port:0, extra:qpkg_report_get());
      else security_hole(0);
      exit(0);
    }
    else
    {
      tested = qpkg_tests_get();
      if (tested) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_AFFECTED, tested);
      else audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_NOT_INSTALLED, "VMware Workstation");
    }
    
  • NASL familyWindows
    NASL idVMWARE_REMOTE.NASL
    descriptionAccording to its version number, the VMware program on the remote host may allow an attacker to execute code on the system hosting the VMware instance. The vulnerability can be exploited by sending specially crafted FTP PORT and EPRT requests. To be exploitable, the VMware system must be configured to use NAT networking.
    last seen2020-06-01
    modified2020-06-02
    plugin id20729
    published2006-01-16
    reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2006-2018 Tenable Network Security, Inc.
    sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/20729
    titleVMware vmnat.exe/vmnet-natd Multiple FTP Command Remote Overflow