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VMware Releases Critical Security Updates for Multiple Products

The vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, escape the sandboxed environment, and read protected memory in VMware hypervisors

Threat ID:
CC-4461
Threat Severity:
Medium
Published:
6 March 2024 1:40 PM
Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

Summary

The vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, escape the sandboxed environment, and read protected memory in VMware hypervisors

Threat details

Introduction

VMware has released multiple security updates to address multiple vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation Pro/Player, VMware Fusion Pro/Fusion, and VMware Cloud Foundation. All platforms are affected by the following vulnerabilities:

  • CVE-2024-22252 - a use-after-free vulnerability in the XHCI USB controller with a CVSSv3 score of 9.3, which if exploited could allow a local attacker with administrator privileges in the virtualised machine to execute arbitrary code on the host machine.
  • CVE-2024-22253 - a use-after-free vulnerability in the UHCI USB controller with a CVSSv3 score of 9.3, which if exploited could allow a local attacker with administrator privileges in the virtualised machine to execute arbitrary code on the host machine.
  • CVE-2024-22255 - an information disclosure vulnerability in the UHCI USB controller with a CVSSv3 score of 7.1, which if exploited could allow a local attacker to leak memory from the hypervisor process.

VMware ESXi and the ESXi component of VMware Cloud Foundation are also vulnerable to CVE-2024-22254, an out-of-bounds write vulnerability with a CVSSv3 score of 7.9. A local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to escape the sandbox onto the host machine.

Remediation advice

Affected organisations are encouraged to review VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2024-0006 and apply any relevant updates.

CVE Vulnerabilities

Status Published

CVE-2024-22252

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a use-after-free vulnerability in the XHCI USB controller. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host. On ESXi, the exploitation is contained within the VMX sandbox whereas, on Workstation and Fusion, this may lead to code execution on the machine where Workstation or Fusion is installed.
Status Published

CVE-2024-22253

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a use-after-free vulnerability in the UHCI USB controller. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host. On ESXi, the exploitation is contained within the VMX sandbox whereas, on Workstation and Fusion, this may lead to code execution on the machine where Workstation or Fusion is installed.
Status Published

CVE-2024-22254

VMware ESXi contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. A malicious actor with privileges within the VMX process may trigger an out-of-bounds write leading to an escape of the sandbox.
Status Published

CVE-2024-22255

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain an information disclosure vulnerability in the UHCI USB controller. A malicious actor with administrative access to a virtual machine may be able to exploit this issue to leak memory from the vmx process.  

Last edited: 6 March 2024 1:48 pm