CVE-2007-0061 in Player
Summary
by MITRE
The DHCP server in EMC VMware Workstation before 5.5.5 Build 56455 and 6.x before 6.0.1 Build 55017, Player before 1.0.5 Build 56455 and Player 2 before 2.0.1 Build 55017, ACE before 1.0.3 Build 54075 and ACE 2 before 2.0.1 Build 55017, and Server before 1.0.4 Build 56528 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed packet that triggers "corrupt stack memory."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0061 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow in the dhcpd component of multiple VMware products including Workstation, Player, ACE, and Server. This flaw exists within the DHCP server implementation that handles incoming network packets, specifically when processing malformed DHCP requests. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the dhcpd service, which fails to properly sanitize incoming packet data before processing. When a remote attacker sends a specially crafted DHCP packet, the malformed data causes the dhcpd process to write beyond allocated memory boundaries, resulting in corrupt stack memory conditions that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the dhcpd process. This issue affects a wide range of VMware virtualization products across multiple version lines, indicating a fundamental flaw in the network stack implementation that was not properly addressed in the affected releases.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages classic stack corruption techniques that align with CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations including return addresses and function pointers. The attack vector is remote and requires no authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where VMware products are deployed. The dhcpd service in VMware products operates with elevated privileges to manage network configuration, which means successful exploitation could provide attackers with full control over the virtual machine host or guest operating systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to potentially enable privilege escalation attacks, as the dhcpd process typically runs with administrative privileges necessary for network configuration management. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the exploitation of privilege escalation vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations using VMware virtualization platforms, particularly in enterprise environments where DHCP services are actively utilized. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to virtual machines, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and lateral movement within network infrastructures. The widespread nature of affected VMware products means that numerous organizations could be impacted simultaneously, creating a significant risk for virtualized environments. Organizations running these vulnerable versions face potential exposure to remote code execution attacks that could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and disruption of virtualized services. The vulnerability's presence in both workstation and server products indicates that it affects not just individual user environments but also enterprise-scale virtualization deployments, making it a critical concern for security teams managing VMware infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-0061 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected VMware products to the latest available versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation to restrict access to DHCP services and limit the attack surface where possible. Additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary DHCP services, implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous DHCP traffic patterns, and establishing strict access controls for VMware management interfaces. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on malformed DHCP packets that match the vulnerability characteristics. The patching process should be carefully managed to ensure that all affected VMware products across the organization are updated, including legacy versions that may still be in use. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software and ensure that proper security configurations are maintained throughout the virtualization infrastructure.