CVE-2023-34044 in Fusion
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
VMware Workstation( 17.x prior to 17.5) and Fusion(13.x prior to 13.5) contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability that exists in the functionality for sharing host Bluetooth devices with the virtual machine. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may be able to read privileged information contained in hypervisor memory from a virtual machine.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2023
This vulnerability exists in VMware Workstation versions 17.x prior to 17.5 and VMware Fusion versions 13.x prior to 13.5, specifically affecting the functionality that enables sharing host Bluetooth devices with virtual machines. The flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the hypervisor processes Bluetooth device sharing requests from guest operating systems. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where a program accesses memory beyond the boundaries of a valid buffer. The security implications are significant as this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who already possess local administrative privileges within a virtual machine environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted sequence of operations that triggers the hypervisor's Bluetooth device sharing mechanism. When a virtual machine attempts to access or enumerate Bluetooth devices that are shared from the host system, the hypervisor fails to properly validate the bounds of memory access operations. This allows the malicious guest operating system to read memory contents that should remain protected within the hypervisor's privileged memory space. The vulnerability essentially creates a pathway for information disclosure where sensitive data from the hypervisor's memory can be accessed, potentially including credentials, encryption keys, or other privileged information that could be used for further exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a critical escalation path for attackers who have already gained access to a virtual machine. Since the vulnerability requires only local administrative privileges on the guest system, it can be exploited by attackers who have already compromised a virtual machine through other means. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where virtual machines are used for sensitive operations or where privilege separation between host and guest systems is expected. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security isolation that virtualization platforms are designed to provide, allowing for potential privilege escalation attacks that could compromise the entire host system or other virtual machines running on the same host.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to VMware Workstation 17.5 or later versions and VMware Fusion 13.5 or later versions where the out-of-bounds read issue has been addressed through proper memory validation and bounds checking. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as limiting local administrative privileges within virtual machines, monitoring for unusual Bluetooth device enumeration patterns, and ensuring that virtualization environments are properly segmented from critical network infrastructure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) where attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to extract sensitive information from hypervisor memory and use it for further attacks. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper memory management in hypervisor code, as outlined in security best practices for virtualization environments and the need for comprehensive security testing of virtualization platforms.