CVE-2008-3696 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-2008-3694, and CVE-2008-3695.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2019
This vulnerability exists within VMware's ActiveX control implementation across multiple product versions including VMware Workstation 5.5.x and 6.0.x, VMware Player 1.x and 2.x, VMware ACE 1.x and 2.x, and VMware Server before specified build numbers. The vulnerability resides in the ActiveX control's handling of user input or memory management, though the specific technical flaw remains unspecified in the CVE description. This type of vulnerability typically represents a security weakness that could be exploited through web browsers or other applications that load ActiveX controls, creating potential attack surfaces that adversaries could leverage for code execution or privilege escalation. The unspecified nature of both the impact and attack vectors suggests this vulnerability may have been classified as a complex issue requiring further analysis by security researchers and vendors. The fact that this vulnerability is distinct from other CVE-2008-3691 through CVE-2008-3695 indicates it represents a separate code path or implementation flaw within the ActiveX control components. ActiveX controls are commonly used for rich internet applications and system integration within Windows environments, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to exploit browser-based attacks or local privilege escalation scenarios. The vulnerability's classification as potentially allowing remote attack vectors indicates it could be exploited through web-based delivery mechanisms, where a malicious website or email attachment could trigger the vulnerable ActiveX control. This represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where users may browse untrusted websites or receive malicious attachments, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects multiple VMware products simultaneously, suggesting it stems from a shared codebase or common implementation pattern across the VMware product line. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability likely falls under categories related to buffer overflows, memory corruption, or improper input validation within ActiveX control interfaces. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that ActiveX controls are often loaded automatically by web browsers and can execute with the privileges of the user running the browser. The vulnerability's presence in both workstation and server products indicates it could be exploited in various scenarios including virtual machine management interfaces or local system exploitation. The unspecified nature of the impact suggests that the vulnerability could potentially allow for privilege escalation, arbitrary code execution, or information disclosure depending on the specific implementation details. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could potentially execute malicious code with elevated privileges, especially if the ActiveX control runs with administrative rights or if it interfaces with system-level resources. The vulnerability's presence in VMware Server also indicates potential implications for data center environments where server-level exploitation could lead to broader infrastructure compromise. The affected versions span multiple major releases, suggesting this was a persistent issue that required multiple patch releases to address across the product family. The vulnerability's classification as a different issue from the related CVEs indicates that it likely involves a distinct code path or implementation detail that was not addressed by the previous vulnerability patches. Organizations using these affected VMware products should consider immediate mitigation strategies due to the potential for remote exploitation through web browsers or other ActiveX-enabled applications. The lack of specific details in the CVE description highlights the need for comprehensive security assessments and vendor advisories to understand the precise attack vectors and exploitation methods available to threat actors. This vulnerability type typically requires careful analysis of input validation routines, memory management practices, and privilege handling within the ActiveX control implementation to fully understand and remediate the security weakness. The widespread impact across multiple VMware products suggests that organizations should conduct thorough inventory checks to identify all affected systems and ensure proper patching procedures are implemented across their infrastructure. Security researchers and red teams should prioritize investigation of this vulnerability due to its potential for remote code execution and the fact that it affects multiple product versions within the VMware ecosystem.
The vulnerability's nature as an unspecified weakness in ActiveX controls aligns with common patterns found in legacy software implementations where input validation and memory management were not adequately addressed. The fact that it affects both client and server products indicates that the security issue may be rooted in shared libraries or common code components that are used across the VMware product line. This type of vulnerability often stems from inadequate bounds checking or improper handling of user-supplied data within the ActiveX control's processing logic. The potential for remote exploitation through web browsers makes this particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious content through email, web browsing, or other internet-based attack vectors. The unspecified impact suggests that depending on the specific implementation details, this vulnerability could potentially allow for various malicious outcomes including privilege escalation, system compromise, or data theft. The vulnerability's classification as different from other CVE-2008-3691 through CVE-2008-3695 indicates that it likely involves a different code path or implementation detail that was not addressed by previous patches. Organizations should implement immediate patching procedures across all affected VMware products and consider network segmentation or browser security controls to limit potential exploitation. The vulnerability's presence in both VMware Workstation and VMware Server products indicates that it could be exploited in both desktop virtualization environments and server-based virtualization scenarios, potentially leading to widespread compromise. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to ActiveX control exploitation and implement appropriate network-based detection measures. The lack of specific technical details in the CVE description emphasizes the importance of vendor advisories and security research reports to understand the precise nature of the vulnerability and develop effective countermeasures. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on VMware virtualization products and underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all virtualization infrastructure components.