CVE-2014-3793 in Player
Summary
by MITRE
VMware Tools in VMware Workstation 10.x before 10.0.2, VMware Player 6.x before 6.0.2, VMware Fusion 6.x before 6.0.3, and VMware ESXi 5.0 through 5.5, when a Windows 8.1 guest OS is used, allows guest OS users to gain guest OS privileges or cause a denial of service (kernel NULL pointer dereference and guest OS crash) via unspecified vectors.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2021
This vulnerability affects VMware virtualization products including workstation player fusion and esxi when running windows 8.1 guest operating systems. The issue stems from improper handling of certain guest OS interactions that can lead to privilege escalation or system instability. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified attack vectors that exploit weaknesses in how vmware tools process guest OS requests. When exploited, the vulnerability can result in guest users gaining elevated privileges within the guest operating system or causing kernel level NULL pointer dereferences that lead to system crashes and denial of service conditions.
The technical flaw resides in the vmware tools implementation where guest OS users can manipulate input data or execution flows to trigger kernel level memory access violations. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that operates at the hypervisor level, allowing unauthorized users within a virtual machine to potentially elevate their privileges to that of the host system or guest operating system. The vulnerability specifically impacts windows 8.1 guests, suggesting that the issue may be related to how newer windows versions handle certain system calls or memory management that vmware tools do not properly validate or sanitize.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to virtualized environments where multiple users share the same hypervisor infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to other virtual machines running on the same host system, potentially leading to data breaches or system compromise. The denial of service aspect means that even without privilege escalation, attackers could repeatedly crash virtual machines or entire hypervisor instances, causing service disruption and potential business impact. The vulnerability affects multiple vmware product lines, indicating a widespread issue that requires coordinated patching across different virtualization platforms.
The mitigation strategies involve applying the latest security patches released by vmware for each affected product line. Organizations should prioritize updating vmware workstation player fusion and esxi installations to versions 10.0.2 6.0.2 6.0.3 and respective newer releases. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation. Security monitoring should focus on unusual guest OS activity patterns that might indicate attempted privilege escalation or denial of service attacks. This vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the mitre attack framework under privilege escalation and denial of service tactics. The underlying cause relates to weak input validation and improper memory management practices that can be addressed through proper code review and security testing methodologies. Organizations should also consider implementing vmware specific security hardening guidelines and maintaining updated threat intelligence to detect potential exploitation attempts.