CVE-2007-5617 in Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in VMware Player 1.0.x before 1.0.5 and 2.0 before 2.0.1, and Workstation 5.x before 5.5.5 and 6.x before 6.0.1, prevents it from launching, which has unspecified impact, related to untrusted virtual machine images.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2019
This vulnerability affects VMware virtualization products including Player 1.0.x before 1.0.5 and 2.0 before 2.0.1, as well as Workstation 5.x before 5.5.5 and 6.x before 6.0.1, specifically targeting the handling of untrusted virtual machine images. The issue manifests as a failure to launch virtual machines, creating a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing their virtual environments. This represents a critical security flaw that could be exploited to disrupt virtualization operations and potentially impact business continuity. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms when processing virtual machine configuration files, allowing maliciously crafted images to trigger system failures. From a cybersecurity perspective, this issue aligns with CWE-170, which addresses improper handling of inputs that can lead to unexpected behavior in software systems. The vulnerability creates an attack surface where adversaries could potentially exploit the system's failure to properly validate virtual machine images, leading to unauthorized disruption of virtualized environments. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it affects the fundamental operational integrity of VMware products, which are widely used for development, testing, and production environments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to prevent legitimate users from accessing critical virtual machines, potentially causing significant operational disruption and data accessibility issues.
The technical flaw involves inadequate input validation and sanitization of virtual machine image files, particularly in the parsing and execution phases of the VMware software. When processing untrusted virtual machine configurations, the affected versions fail to properly validate file integrity and structure, leading to system crashes or complete failure to launch virtual environments. This vulnerability demonstrates poor security practices in handling external inputs, which is a fundamental principle of secure software development. The flaw essentially creates a condition where the software cannot distinguish between legitimate and malicious virtual machine configurations, making it susceptible to exploitation through crafted image files. From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability affects organizations that rely heavily on VMware virtualization for their computing infrastructure, potentially exposing them to significant downtime and productivity losses. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where virtual machines are used for critical applications and services, as the failure to launch could result in cascading operational failures across multiple systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate denial of service to include potential business disruption and security implications. Organizations using affected VMware versions could experience complete virtualization service outages, affecting development teams, testing environments, and production systems that depend on virtual machines. The vulnerability creates a scenario where legitimate users cannot access their virtual environments, while simultaneously potentially providing an entry point for more sophisticated attacks. This issue is particularly relevant in the context of the ATT&CK framework, where it could be categorized under privilege escalation or denial of service tactics, as attackers might use the vulnerability to gain unauthorized control over virtualization resources or disrupt normal operations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper software patch management and the risks associated with running outdated virtualization software. Organizations may need to implement emergency mitigation measures while planning for proper patching, as the vulnerability affects multiple product versions and could be exploited across various deployment scenarios. The security implications extend to potential data integrity concerns, as the failure to properly validate virtual machine images could also open doors to other exploitation vectors that might not be immediately apparent.