VMSA-2017-0021

VMware ESXi, vCenter Server Appliance, Workstation and Fusion updates address multiple security vulnerabilities

VMware Security Advisory
 
VMware Security Advisory Advisory ID:
 VMSA-2017-0021
VMware Security Advisory Severity:
 Important
VMware Security Advisory Synopsis:
VMware ESXi, vCenter Server Appliance, Workstation and Fusion updates address multiple security vulnerabilities
VMware Security Advisory Issue date:
 2017-12-19
VMware Security Advisory Updated on:
 2017-12-19 (Initial Advisory)
VMware Security Advisory CVE numbers:
CVE-2017-4933, CVE-2017-4940, CVE-2017-4941, CVE-2017-4943
 
1. Summary

VMware ESXi, Workstation and Fusion updates address multiple security vulnerabilities

 
2. Relevant Products
  • VMware ESXi (ESXi)
  • VMware vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA)
  • VMware Workstation Pro / Player (Workstation) 
  • VMware Fusion Pro, Fusion (Fusion)
  •  
3. Problem Description

a. ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion stack overflow via authenticated VNC session

 

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a vulnerability that could allow an authenticated VNC session to cause a stack overflow via a specific set of VNC packets. Successful exploitation of this issue could result in remote code execution in a virtual machine via the authenticated VNC session.

 

Note: In order for exploitation to be possible in ESXi, VNC must be manually enabled in a virtual machine's .vmx configuration file. In addition, ESXi must be configured to allow VNC traffic through the  built-in firewall.

 

VMware would like to thank Lilith Wyatt and another member of Cisco Talos for reporting this issue to us.

 

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4941 to this issue.

 

Column 5 of the following table lists the action required to remediate the vulnerability in each release, if a solution is available.

VMware Product
Product Version
Running on
Severity
Replace with/ Apply Patch
Mitigation/ Workaround
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.5
Running on Any
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.0
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi600-201711101-SG
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 5.5
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi550-201709101-SG
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product Workstation
Product Version 14.x
Running on Any
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product Workstation
Product Version 12.x
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch 12.5.8
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product Fusion
Product Version 10.x
Running on OSX
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product Fusion
Product Version 8.x
Running on OSX
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch 8.5.9
Mitigation/ Workaround None

 

b. ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion heap overflow via authenticated VNC session

 

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a vulnerability that could allow an authenticated VNC session to cause a heap overflow via a specific set of VNC packets resulting in heap corruption. Successful exploitation of this issue could result in remote code execution in a virtual machine via the authenticated VNC session.

  

Note: In order for exploitation to be possible in ESXi, VNC must be manually enabled in a virtual machine's .vmx configuration file. In addition, ESXi must be configured to allow VNC traffic through the built-in firewall.

 

VMware would like to thank Lilith Wyatt of Cisco Talos for reporting this issue to us.

 

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4933 to this issue.

 

Column 5 of the following table lists the action required to remediate the vulnerability in each release, if a solution is available.

VMware Product
Product Version
Running on
Severity
Replace with/ Apply Patch
Mitigation/ Workaround
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.5
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi650-201710401-BG
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.0
Running on Any
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 5.5
Running on Any
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product Workstation
Product Version 14.x
Running on Any
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product Workstation
Product Version 12.x
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch 12.5.8
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product Fusion
Product Version 10.x
Running on OSX
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product Fusion
Product Version 8.x
Running on OSX
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch 8.5.9
Mitigation/ Workaround None

 

c. ESXi Host Client stored cross-site scripting vulnerability

 

The ESXi Host Client contains a vulnerability that may allow for stored cross-site scripting (XSS). An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by injecting Javascript, which might get executed when other users access the Host Client.

 

VMware would like to thank Alain Homewood of Insomnia Security for reporting this issue to us.
   
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4940 to this issue.

 

Column 5 of the following table lists the action required to remediate the vulnerability in each release, if a solution is available.

VMware Product
Product Version
Running on
Severity
Replace with/ Apply Patch
Mitigation/ Workaround
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.5
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi650-201712103-SG
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 6.0
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi600-201711103-SG
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product ESXi
Product Version 5.5
Running on Any
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch ESXi550-201709102-SG
Mitigation/ Workaround None

 

d. Privilege escalation in vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA)

 

VMware vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability via the 'showlog' plugin. Successful exploitation of this issue could result in a low privileged user gaining root level privileges over the appliance base OS.

 

VMware would like to thank Lukasz Plonka for reporting this issue to us.

 

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the identifier CVE-2017-4943 to this issue.    

 

Column 5 of the following table lists the action required to remediate the vulnerability in each release, if a solution is available.

VMware Product
Product Version
Running on
Severity
Replace with/ Apply Patch
Mitigation/ Workaround
VMware Product vCSA
Product Version 6.5
Running on Linux
Severity Important
Replace with/ Apply Patch 6.5 U1d
Mitigation/ Workaround None
VMware Product vCSA
Product Version 6.0
Running on Linux
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A
VMware Product vCSA
Product Version 5.5
Running on Linux
Severity N/A
Replace with/ Apply Patch not affected
Mitigation/ Workaround N/A

 

4. Solution

 

Please review the patch/release notes for your product and version and verify the checksum of your downloaded file.

 

VMware ESXi 6.5  

Downloads:  

https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch 

Documentation:  

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2151061

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/51196   

 

VMware ESXi 6.0 

Downloads:  

https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch

Documentation:  

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2151132

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2151134

 

VMware ESXi 5.5

Downloads:  

https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/patch

Documentation:

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2150876

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2150878

 

vCSA 6.5 U1d
Downloads and Documentation:
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/details?downloadGroup=VC65U1D&productId=614&rPId=20189

 

VMware Workstation Pro 12.5.8

Downloads and Documentation:  

https://www.vmware.com/go/downloadworkstation  

https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/ws_pubs.html  

 

VMware Workstation Player 12.5.8

Downloads and Documentation:  

https://www.vmware.com/go/downloadplayer  

https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/player_pubs.html

 

VMware Fusion Pro / Fusion 8.5.9

Downloads and Documentation:  

https://www.vmware.com/go/downloadfusion  

https://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/fusion_pubs.html

 

 

6. Change log

 

2017-12-19 VMSA-2017-0021
Initial security advisory in conjunction with the release of vSphere 6.5 patches on 2017-12-19.

 

 

7. Contact

 

E-mail list for product security notifications and announcements:

http://lists.vmware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/security-announce

 

This Security Advisory is posted to the following lists:

security-announce@lists.vmware.com

bugtraq@securityfocus.com

fulldisclosure@seclists.org

 

E-mail: security@vmware.com

PGP key at:

https://kb.vmware.com/kb/1055

 

VMware Security Advisories

http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories

 

VMware Security Response Policy

https://www.vmware.com/support/policies/security_response.html

 

VMware Lifecycle Support Phases

https://www.vmware.com/support/policies/lifecycle.html

 

VMware Security & Compliance Blog  

https://blogs.vmware.com/security

 

Twitter

https://twitter.com/VMwareSRC

 

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