CVE-2008-3694 in Player
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in a certain ActiveX control in VMware Workstation 5.5.x before 5.5.8 build 108000, VMware Workstation 6.0.x before 6.0.5 build 109488, VMware Player 1.x before 1.0.8 build 108000, VMware Player 2.x before 2.0.5 build 109488, VMware ACE 1.x before 1.0.7 build 108880, VMware ACE 2.x before 2.0.5 build 109488, and VMware Server before 1.0.7 build 108231 has unknown impact and remote attack vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2008-3691, CVE-2008-3692, CVE-2008-3693, CVE-2008-3695, and CVE-2008-3696.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2019
This vulnerability resides within an ActiveX control component of multiple VMware products including Workstation, Player, ACE, and Server across various versions. The unspecified nature of the flaw indicates a critical security weakness that could potentially be exploited remotely without requiring user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where virtualization platforms are extensively deployed. The vulnerability affects the core ActiveX control implementation that handles user interface interactions and system integration within these virtualization products, creating a potential attack surface that could be leveraged by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on target systems.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of input data within the ActiveX control, which likely involves memory corruption or buffer overflow conditions that could be triggered through malformed input parameters. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow or CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflow, depending on the specific implementation details. The attack vector appears to be remote exploitation through web browsers or other applications that load the vulnerable ActiveX control, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that executes with the privileges of the affected application. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which describes exploitation of remote services through ActiveX controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, potentially enabling complete system compromise and lateral movement within network environments. Organizations utilizing these older versions of VMware products face significant risk as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or use the compromised systems as launching points for further attacks. The vulnerability's presence across multiple product lines including Workstation, Player, ACE, and Server means that enterprises with diverse virtualization infrastructures would need to coordinate patching efforts across their entire estate. The fact that this vulnerability exists in both desktop and server virtualization products creates a particularly concerning scenario where attackers could potentially compromise both development and production environments through a single attack vector.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of all affected VMware products to the latest available versions, as the vendor has likely released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable systems and consider disabling ActiveX controls in web browsers where possible. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around system calls and process creation activities. The vulnerability's classification as a remote exploit means that traditional network perimeter defenses may not be sufficient, requiring more comprehensive endpoint detection and response capabilities. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems that might be running older versions of VMware products or related components that could be similarly vulnerable to attack.