CVE-2012-5703 in ESXi
Summary
by MITRE
The vSphere API in VMware ESXi 4.1 and ESX 4.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (host daemon crash) via an invalid value in a (1) RetrieveProp or (2) RetrievePropEx SOAP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5703 represents a critical denial of service flaw within VMware ESXi 4.1 and ESX 4.1 hypervisor implementations. This weakness specifically affects the vSphere API component that processes SOAP requests for property retrieval operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the host daemon responsible for handling RetrieveProp and RetrievePropEx SOAP requests, which are fundamental operations used by management tools and applications to query virtual machine and host information. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious SOAP requests containing invalid parameter values that trigger unexpected behavior in the processing logic. The technical execution involves sending specially crafted SOAP messages that contain malformed or out-of-bounds values in the property specification fields, causing the underlying host daemon to crash and restart. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions, and more specifically aligns with CWE-129, representing improper validation of array index values. The flaw exists at the interface level where SOAP requests are parsed and processed, indicating a failure in proper input sanitization and error handling procedures. From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises system availability and can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt virtualized environments without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. The host daemon crash results in temporary unavailability of the affected hypervisor, potentially causing service interruptions for all virtual machines running on that host. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499, which involves network denial of service attacks, and T1566, which covers phishing attacks that could be used to deliver malicious SOAP requests. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect business continuity and virtual infrastructure stability, particularly in environments where automated management tools rely on consistent API responses. Organizations utilizing these older hypervisor versions face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring direct access to the system. The exploitability of this vulnerability is enhanced by the fact that the affected API endpoints are commonly exposed to network traffic, making them accessible to attackers on the network. The root cause analysis reveals insufficient bounds checking and parameter validation in the SOAP request processing pipeline, where the system fails to properly validate the range and format of property identifiers or retrieval parameters. This weakness creates a path for attackers to inject malformed data that causes memory corruption or exception handling failures within the host daemon process. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation that can lead to process termination or system instability, highlighting the importance of robust error handling in critical system components. Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability affects the core management interface of VMware's virtualization platform, making it a high-priority target for exploitation in environments with exposed management interfaces. The remediation approach requires immediate patching of affected systems, as VMware released security updates to address this specific validation weakness in subsequent releases. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to vSphere API endpoints from untrusted networks, reducing the attack surface for this and similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual patterns in SOAP request processing and host daemon restarts to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization infrastructure and implementing proper security controls around management interfaces. This flaw represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where VMware ESXi hosts are exposed to external networks or where management tools require direct API access, as it can be exploited to cause cascading failures across virtualized infrastructures. The technical implications extend to the broader field of hypervisor security, where proper input validation and robust error handling are essential for maintaining system integrity and preventing unauthorized service disruption.