CVE-2015-1043 in Workstation
Summary
by MITRE
The Host Guest File System (HGFS) in VMware Workstation 10.x before 10.0.5, VMware Player 6.x before 6.0.5, and VMware Fusion 6.x before 6.0.5 and 7.x before 7.0.1 allows guest OS users to cause a guest OS denial of service via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1043 resides within the Host Guest File System component of VMware virtualization products, specifically affecting versions prior to critical security updates. This flaw exists in VMware Workstation 10.x before 10.0.5, VMware Player 6.x before 6.0.5, and VMware Fusion 6.x before 6.0.5 and 7.x before 7.0.1. The HGFS implementation serves as a crucial interface enabling communication between guest operating systems and the host system, facilitating file sharing and resource access. When exploited, this vulnerability allows malicious actors within a guest operating system to manipulate the file system interface in ways that can disrupt normal operation of the guest environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of unspecified vectors, indicating that attackers can leverage multiple approaches to trigger the denial of service condition. This weakness likely stems from insufficient input validation or improper handling of file system operations within the HGFS subsystem. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-122, concerning buffer overflow vulnerabilities in heap-based buffers. Attackers can potentially exploit this flaw by crafting malicious file system requests or manipulating file access patterns that cause the HGFS driver to malfunction, leading to system instability or complete system hang within the guest environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1043 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a significant security risk within virtualized environments where guest operating systems may be compromised or controlled by untrusted parties. In enterprise settings where virtualization is extensively used, this vulnerability could enable attackers to cause widespread disruption by targeting multiple virtual machines simultaneously. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers could leverage the compromised guest environment to further escalate their attack. Organizations relying on VMware products for development, testing, or production environments face potential operational downtime and service interruption risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the underlying HGFS implementation issues. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected VMware products to their latest versions, particularly focusing on the specific version ranges mentioned in the vulnerability description. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls can limit potential attack vectors by restricting guest OS access to critical host resources. Organizations should also consider monitoring for unusual file system activity or process behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated systems to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing virtual environments or applications. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to prepare for potential denial of service events that could impact virtualized infrastructure.