CVE-2023-34045 in Fusion
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
VMware Fusion(13.x prior to 13.5) contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability that occurs during installation for the first time (the user needs to drag or copy the application to a folder from the '.dmg' volume) or when installing an upgrade. A malicious actor with local non-administrative user privileges may exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges to root on the system where Fusion is installed or being installed for the first time.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2023
This vulnerability exists within VMware Fusion version 13.x prior to 13.5 and represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw that can be exploited by non-administrative users to gain root access on affected systems. The vulnerability manifests specifically during the initial installation process or when upgrading the application, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to elevate their privileges. The flaw stems from improper privilege handling during the installation workflow where the application fails to properly validate or restrict file operations that should require administrative privileges. According to CWE-276, this represents a classic improper privilege management vulnerability where the system does not adequately enforce privilege separation between user and administrative operations. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no network connectivity and can be executed entirely locally, making it difficult to detect through traditional network monitoring approaches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the installation process where VMware Fusion performs certain operations that should normally require root privileges but instead execute with elevated permissions due to insufficient privilege checking. During the first-time installation or upgrade scenario, the application may copy or modify system-level files without proper validation of the executing user's privileges. This creates a race condition or privilege escalation path where a malicious user can manipulate the installation process to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate installation workflow of a trusted application, making it harder to distinguish from normal system behavior and potentially bypassing security controls that monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full system compromise by malicious actors who gain root access. Once elevated to root privileges, an attacker could modify system files, install persistent backdoors, access all user data, and potentially establish a foothold for further network infiltration. The vulnerability affects all users who install or upgrade VMware Fusion on affected versions, making it particularly widespread in enterprise environments where multiple users may have local access to systems running these vulnerable versions. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1068, this vulnerability represents a privilege escalation path that allows adversaries to gain higher-level permissions, while T1548.001 covers the abuse of local privilege escalation techniques to maintain persistent access to compromised systems.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches for VMware Fusion 13.5 and ensure all systems running vulnerable versions are updated to prevent exploitation. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual installation activities and privilege escalation attempts, particularly during user login or system update events. The recommended mitigation strategy includes not only patching but also implementing least privilege principles where users have minimal necessary permissions and regular security audits to detect unauthorized installations or modifications. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized software installations, particularly during user session startup or system update processes. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify other potentially vulnerable applications that may exhibit similar privilege escalation behaviors, as this represents a common class of vulnerabilities in desktop applications that handle system-level operations.