CVE-2015-2337 in Workstation
Summary
by MITRE
TPInt.dll in VMware Workstation 10.x before 10.0.6 and 11.x before 11.1.1, VMware Player 6.x before 6.0.6 and 7.x before 7.1.1, and VMware Horizon Client 3.2.x before 3.2.1, 3.3.x, and 5.x local-mode before 5.4.2 on Windows does not properly allocate memory, which allows guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the host OS via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/20/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2337 represents a critical memory allocation flaw within the TPInt.dll component of multiple VMware virtualization products. This issue affects VMware Workstation versions 10.x prior to 10.0.6 and 11.x prior to 11.1.1, VMware Player versions 6.x prior to 6.0.6 and 7.x prior to 7.1.1, and VMware Horizon Client versions 3.2.x prior to 3.2.1, 3.3.x, and 5.x local-mode prior to 5.4.2 on Windows platforms. The flaw resides in the improper handling of memory allocation within the Trusted Platform Integration module, which serves as a bridge between the guest operating system and the host system's security mechanisms.
This memory allocation vulnerability creates a privilege escalation vector that allows malicious users within a guest operating system to execute arbitrary code on the host system. The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the TPInt.dll library, which fails to properly validate memory boundaries when processing guest-to-host communications. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various attack paths including malformed input, buffer overflows, or improper memory deallocation sequences. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which occurs when a program reads data past the end of a valid buffer, and potentially CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which involves writing data past the end of a buffer. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique under T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2337 is severe and far-reaching within virtualized environments. When exploited, this vulnerability enables attackers to break out of the guest operating system sandbox and execute malicious code directly on the host system, potentially compromising the entire virtualization infrastructure. The attack scenario typically involves a malicious user within a compromised guest VM leveraging the memory allocation flaw to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to host resources. This could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and the ability to use the compromised host as a launch point for further attacks against other systems on the network. Organizations running VMware virtual environments are particularly vulnerable, as the attack requires minimal privileges within the guest OS and can lead to full host compromise. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security isolation that virtualization platforms are designed to provide.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2337 should focus on immediate patching of affected VMware products to the recommended versions that contain memory allocation fixes and improved input validation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit guest OS privileges and reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory allocation patterns and unexpected process execution on virtualization hosts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting guest OS user permissions and implementing strict firewall rules between virtual machines and host systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar memory allocation flaws in other virtualization components. System hardening measures including disabling unnecessary virtualization features and implementing runtime application control can further reduce the attack surface. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be established to ensure timely remediation of similar vulnerabilities across the virtualization infrastructure.