CVE-2011-2146 in Player
Summary
by MITRE
mount.vmhgfs in the VMware Host Guest File System (HGFS) in VMware Workstation 7.1.x before 7.1.4, VMware Player 3.1.x before 3.1.4, VMware Fusion 3.1.x before 3.1.3, VMware ESXi 3.5 though 4.1, and VMware ESX 3.0.3 through 4.1 allows guest OS users to determine the existence of host OS files and directories via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2146 affects the VMware Host Guest File System (HGFS) component within multiple VMware products including Workstation Player and Fusion, as well as ESXi and ESX hypervisors. This issue represents a significant information disclosure weakness that enables guest operating system users to enumerate host operating system file and directory structures through unspecified attack vectors. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to the specified patches, creating a persistent security risk across multiple VMware product lines that handle virtualized environments.
The technical flaw resides within the mount.vmhgfs service implementation which fails to properly validate file access requests from guest operating systems. This inadequate validation allows malicious or curious guest users to probe the underlying host filesystem through HGFS mechanisms, effectively creating a reconnaissance channel that reveals host file system structure and potentially sensitive directory layouts. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through various means including malformed file access requests, directory traversal attempts, or improper access control implementations within the HGFS protocol handling code. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-200, Information Exposure, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control validation in virtualized environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks against the host system. An attacker with access to a guest operating system could map the host file structure, potentially identifying sensitive files, configuration directories, or system binaries that could be targeted in subsequent exploitation phases. This information exposure creates a significant risk for environments where multiple guest operating systems share the same host infrastructure, as it essentially provides a map of the host's filesystem that could be leveraged for privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or further compromise attempts. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where VMware virtualization platforms are extensively used for hosting multiple applications and services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2146 should prioritize immediate patching of all affected VMware products to the recommended versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit guest OS capabilities and reduce the potential attack surface. The principle of least privilege should be enforced within virtualized environments, ensuring that guest operating systems have minimal access to host resources beyond what is absolutely necessary for their operation. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual file access patterns or enumeration attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. This remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, File and Directory Discovery, and addresses the fundamental access control weakness that enables the information disclosure. Organizations should also consider implementing virtualization-specific security controls such as VMware's built-in security features and regular vulnerability assessments of their virtualized environments to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.