VMare Workstation/Fusion/ESX/Player 8.0.4 Library tpfc.dll untrusted search path

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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5.9$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as problematic has been reported in VMare Workstation, Fusion, ESX and Player 8.0.4. This affects an unknown function in the library tpfc.dll of the component Library Handler. The manipulation leads to untrusted search path. This vulnerability is documented as CVE-2012-1666. Additionally, an exploit exists. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, has been found in VMare Workstation, Fusion, ESX and Player 8.0.4. This issue affects an unknown code in the library tpfc.dll of the component Library Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a untrusted search path vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-426. The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

Untrusted search path vulnerability in VMware Tools in VMware Workstation before 8.0.4, VMware Player before 4.0.4, VMware Fusion before 4.1.2, VMware View before 5.1, and VMware ESX 4.1 before U3 and 5.0 before P03 allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse tpfc.dll file in the current working directory.

The weakness was released 09/04/2012 by Moshe Zioni with Comsec Global Consulting as VMWare Tools susceptible to binary planting as not defined posting (Bugtraq). It is possible to read the advisory at archives.neohapsis.com. The vendor was not involved in the public release. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2012-1666 since 03/15/2012. Attacking locally is a requirement. A simple authentication is needed for exploitation. Technical details as well as a public exploit are known. The attack technique deployed by this issue is T1574 according to MITRE ATT&CK. The advisory points out:

During initiation, which occurs during many steps throughout printer comm. Negotiation, a non-existent dynamic-link library is called, resulting in an unqualified dynamic-link library call to tpfc.dll. A user with local disk access can carefuly construct a DLL that suits the pattern that is being traversed by the client and implement it somewhere along the search path and the client will load it seamlessly.

A public exploit has been developed by Moshe Zioni in C and been published immediately after the advisory. The exploit is available at archives.neohapsis.com. It is declared as proof-of-concept. The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 200 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $0-$5k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 59966 (VMSA-2012-0012 : VMware ESXi update to third-party library), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family VMware ESX Local Security Checks.

Applying a patch is able to eliminate this problem. A possible mitigation has been published before and not just after the disclosure of the vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (78301), Exploit-DB (37780), Tenable (59966), SecurityFocus (BID 55421†) and OSVDB (85477†). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

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Version

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 6.5
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.9

VulDB Base Score: 6.5
VulDB Temp Score: 5.9
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
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Exploitinginfo

Class: Untrusted search path
CWE: CWE-426
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: No

Availability: 🔍
Access: Public
Status: Proof-of-Concept
Author: Moshe Zioni
Programming Language: 🔍
Download: 🔍

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 59966
Nessus Name: VMSA-2012-0012 : VMware ESXi update to third-party library
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍

Exploit-DB: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exploit Delay Time: 🔍

Timelineinfo

02/13/2012 🔍
02/14/2012 +1 days 🔍
03/15/2012 +30 days 🔍
07/13/2012 +120 days 🔍
08/31/2012 +49 days 🔍
09/04/2012 +4 days 🔍
09/04/2012 +0 days 🔍
09/04/2012 +0 days 🔍
09/08/2012 +4 days 🔍
09/13/2012 +5 days 🔍
09/20/2012 +7 days 🔍
08/06/2013 +320 days 🔍
08/16/2025 +4393 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Advisory: VMWare Tools susceptible to binary planting
Researcher: Moshe Zioni
Organization: Comsec Global Consulting
Status: Confirmed
Confirmation: 🔍

CVE: CVE-2012-1666 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2012-1666
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-6311
X-Force: 78301
SecurityFocus: 55421 - ThinPrint 'tpfc.dll' Insecure Library Loading Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability
OSVDB: 85477
Vulnerability Center: 40851 - VMWare ESX, Workstation, Player, Fusion and View Local Privilege Escalation via Trojan Horse tpfc.dll File, High

scip Labs: https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20161013

Entryinfo

Created: 09/20/2012 16:13
Updated: 08/16/2025 07:58
Changes: 09/20/2012 16:13 (84), 05/07/2017 11:45 (3), 04/13/2021 08:03 (3), 08/16/2025 07:58 (17)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

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