CVE-2017-16001 in Vagrant VMware Fusion Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
In HashiCorp Vagrant VMware Fusion plugin (aka vagrant-vmware-fusion) 5.0.1, a local attacker or malware can silently subvert the plugin update process in order to escalate to root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2017-16001 affects the HashiCorp Vagrant VMware Fusion plugin version 5.0.1, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables local attackers to gain root privileges through manipulation of the plugin update mechanism. This vulnerability resides in the update process implementation where insufficient validation allows malicious code to be injected or executed with elevated privileges, creating a significant security risk for systems running vulnerable versions of the plugin.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's update handling functionality where the system fails to properly validate the integrity and authenticity of update packages before installation. This weakness creates a path for privilege escalation as the update process executes with root privileges, allowing an attacker to replace legitimate update files with malicious payloads that will be executed with elevated permissions. The vulnerability specifically targets the trust model used during plugin updates, where the system implicitly trusts update sources without sufficient cryptographic verification or integrity checks.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond individual system compromise to potentially affect entire development environments and infrastructure deployments. Attackers exploiting this flaw can silently install backdoors, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access points within virtualized development environments. The silent nature of the exploitation means that legitimate users may not be aware of system compromise until malicious activities have been completed, making detection particularly challenging. This vulnerability is especially dangerous in enterprise environments where developers frequently use Vagrant for rapid application deployment and testing.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate version updates to patched releases of the vagrant-vmware-fusion plugin, as well as implementing additional security controls around plugin installation processes. System administrators should disable automatic plugin updates and manually verify all plugin installations through trusted sources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a classic example of privilege escalation through compromised update mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and monitoring for unusual plugin activity that could indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of compromised software update processes to gain elevated system access, making it a significant concern for security operations centers monitoring development environments.