CVE-2016-7079 in Tools
Summary
by MITRE
The graphic acceleration functions in VMware Tools 9.x and 10.x before 10.0.9 on OS X allow local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-7080.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7079 affects VMware Tools versions 9.x and 10.x prior to 10.0.9 on macOS operating systems. This issue resides within the graphic acceleration functions of the VMware Tools suite, which are designed to enhance graphical performance in virtualized environments. The vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that could be exploited by local attackers to either escalate privileges or induce denial of service conditions within the virtual machine environment. The flaw manifests as a NULL pointer dereference, a common class of software vulnerability that occurs when a program attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been properly initialized or has been set to NULL.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory management within the graphic acceleration components of VMware Tools. When processing certain graphic-related commands or data streams, the software fails to adequately validate pointer references, leading to situations where a NULL pointer is dereferenced during execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which is classified as a fundamental programming error that can lead to system crashes or potentially arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability differs from CVE-2016-7080, indicating that this represents a distinct code path or function within the same software component that exhibits similar but separate security weaknesses.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to virtualized environments where VMware Tools are deployed. Local users with access to the guest operating system can exploit this weakness to either gain elevated privileges within the virtual machine or cause the system to crash, resulting in denial of service for legitimate users. The impact extends beyond simple system instability as privilege escalation capabilities could allow attackers to bypass security controls and potentially access sensitive data or system resources. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the virtualization environment, making it particularly concerning for enterprise deployments where virtual machines serve critical business functions.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires local access to the affected macOS system within a VMware virtual machine, which limits the attack surface compared to network-based exploits. However, the potential for privilege escalation makes this particularly dangerous in environments where users may have legitimate access to virtual machines but should not possess administrative privileges. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the privilege escalation and denial of service tactics. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations by updating VMware Tools to version 10.0.9 or later, which contains patches addressing this specific NULL pointer dereference issue. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for any unusual system behavior or crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts, and maintain comprehensive logging of virtual machine activities to detect potential abuse of this vulnerability.