Vulnerabilities > CVE-2017-4901 - Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerability in VMWare Fusion and Workstation
Attack vector
NETWORK Attack complexity
LOW Privileges required
LOW Confidentiality impact
HIGH Integrity impact
HIGH Availability impact
HIGH Summary
The drag-and-drop (DnD) function in VMware Workstation 12.x before version 12.5.4 and Fusion 8.x before version 8.5.5 has an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability. This may allow a guest to execute code on the operating system that runs Workstation or Fusion.
Vulnerable Configurations
Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
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.
Exploit-Db
| id | EDB-ID:47714 |
| last seen | 2019-11-25 |
| modified | 2017-08-08 |
| published | 2017-08-08 |
| reporter | Exploit-DB |
| source | https://www.exploit-db.com/download/47714 |
| title | VMware WorkStation 12.5.5 - Virtual Machine Escape |
Nessus
NASL family General NASL id VMWARE_PLAYER_LINUX_VMSA_2017_0005.NASL description The version of VMware Player installed on the remote Linux host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system. last seen 2020-06-01 modified 2020-06-02 plugin id 97989 published 2017-03-27 reporter This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof. source https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97989 title VMware Player 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) (Linux) code # # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc. # include("compat.inc"); if (description) { script_id(97989); script_version("1.8"); script_cvs_date("Date: 2019/11/13"); script_cve_id("CVE-2017-4901"); script_bugtraq_id(96881); script_xref(name:"VMSA", value:"2017-0005"); script_name(english:"VMware Player 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) (Linux)"); script_summary(english:"Checks the VMware Player version."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value: "A virtualization application installed on the remote Linux host is affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value: "The version of VMware Player installed on the remote Linux host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2017-0005.html"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value: "Upgrade to VMware Player version 12.5.4 or later."); script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P"); script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:H/RL:OF/RC:C"); script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"); script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:H/RL:O/RC:C"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2017-4901"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploited_by_malware", value:"true"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2017/03/14"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2017/03/14"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2017/03/27"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:vmware:player"); script_end_attributes(); script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO); script_family(english:"General"); script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof."); script_dependencies("vmware_player_linux_installed.nbin"); script_require_keys("Host/VMware Player/Version"); script_exclude_keys("SMB/Registry/Enumerated"); exit(0); } include("audit.inc"); include("global_settings.inc"); include("misc_func.inc"); if (get_kb_item("SMB/Registry/Enumerated")) audit(AUDIT_OS_NOT, "Linux", "Windows"); version = get_kb_item_or_exit("Host/VMware Player/Version"); fix = ''; if (version =~ "^12\.") fix = '12.5.4'; if (!empty(fix) && ver_compare(ver:version, fix:fix, strict:FALSE) < 0) { report += '\n Installed version : ' + version + '\n Fixed version : ' + fix + '\n'; security_report_v4(port:0, extra:report, severity:SECURITY_HOLE); } else audit(AUDIT_INST_VER_NOT_VULN, "VMware Player", version);NASL family Windows NASL id VMWARE_PLAYER_WIN_VMSA_2017_0005.NASL description The version of VMware Player installed on the remote Windows host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system. last seen 2020-06-01 modified 2020-06-02 plugin id 97990 published 2017-03-27 reporter This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof. source https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97990 title VMware Player 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) code # # (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc. # include("compat.inc"); if (description) { script_id(97990); script_version("1.8"); script_cvs_date("Date: 2019/11/13"); script_cve_id("CVE-2017-4901"); script_bugtraq_id(96881); script_xref(name:"VMSA", value:"2017-0005"); script_name(english:"VMware Player 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005)"); script_summary(english:"Checks the VMware Player version."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value: "A virtualization application installed on the remote Windows host is affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value: "The version of VMware Player installed on the remote Windows host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system."); script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2017-0005.html"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value: "Upgrade to VMware Player version 12.5.4 or later."); script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P"); script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:H/RL:OF/RC:C"); script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"); script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:H/RL:O/RC:C"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2017-4901"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"Exploits are available"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"true"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploited_by_malware", value:"true"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2017/03/14"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2017/03/14"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2017/03/27"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local"); script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:vmware:player"); script_end_attributes(); script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO); script_family(english:"Windows"); script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof."); script_dependencies("vmware_player_detect.nasl"); script_require_keys("SMB/Registry/Enumerated", "installed_sw/VMware Player"); exit(0); } include("audit.inc"); include("global_settings.inc"); include("install_func.inc"); include("misc_func.inc"); get_kb_item_or_exit("SMB/Registry/Enumerated"); install = get_single_install(app_name:"VMware Player", exit_if_unknown_ver:TRUE); version = install['version']; path = install['path']; fix = ''; if (version =~ "^12\.") fix = '12.5.4'; if (!empty(fix) && ver_compare(ver:version, fix:fix, strict:FALSE) < 0) { port = get_kb_item("SMB/transport"); if (!port) port = 445; report += '\n Path : ' + path + '\n Installed version : ' + version + '\n Fixed version : ' + fix + '\n'; security_report_v4(port:port, extra:report, severity:SECURITY_HOLE); } else audit(AUDIT_INST_PATH_NOT_VULN, "VMware Player", version, path);NASL family MacOS X Local Security Checks NASL id MACOSX_FUSION_VMSA_2017_0005.NASL description The version of VMware Fusion installed on the remote macOS or Mac OS X host is 8.x prior to 8.5.5. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system. last seen 2020-06-01 modified 2020-06-02 plugin id 97939 published 2017-03-24 reporter This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof. source https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97939 title VMware Fusion 8.x < 8.5.5 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) (macOS) NASL family Windows NASL id VMWARE_WORKSTATION_WIN_VMSA_2017_0005.NASL description The version of VMware Workstation installed on the remote Windows host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system. last seen 2020-06-01 modified 2020-06-02 plugin id 97941 published 2017-03-24 reporter This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof. source https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97941 title VMware Workstation 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) NASL family General NASL id VMWARE_WORKSTATION_LINUX_VMSA_2017_0005.NASL description The version of VMware Workstation installed on the remote Linux host is 12.x prior to 12.5.4. It is, therefore, affected by a guest-to-host arbitrary code execution vulnerability in the drag-and-drop (DND) functionality due to an out-of-bounds memory access error. An attacker within a guest can exploit this issue to execute arbitrary code on the host system. last seen 2020-06-01 modified 2020-06-02 plugin id 97940 published 2017-03-24 reporter This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof. source https://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97940 title VMware Workstation 12.x < 12.5.4 Drag-and-Drop Feature Guest-to-Host Code Execution (VMSA-2017-0005) (Linux)