This is the second of three. This one concerns VMware’s hosted products and the OVF Tool
| Synopsis: | VMware Hosted Products and OVF Tool address security issues |
| Issue date: | 2012-11-08 |
| Updated on: | 2012-11-08 (initial advisory) |
| CVE number: | CVE-2012-5458, CVE-2012-5459 and CVE-2012-3569 |
1. Summary
VMware Hosted products and OVFTool patches address several security issues.
2. Relevant releases
- OVF Tool 2.1
- Workstation 8.0.4
- Player 4.0.4
3. Problem Description
a. VMware Workstation and Player Weak permissions on process threads vulnerability.
Certain processes when created have weak security permissions assigned. It is possible to commandeer these process threads, which could result in Elevation of Privilege in the context of the host.
VMware would like to thank Derek Soeder of Cylance, Inc. for reporting this issue to us.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2012-5458 to this issue.
Column 4 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 | Replace with/Apply Patch |
| vCenter | any | Windows | not affected |
| Workstation | 9.x | any | not affected |
| Workstation | 8.x | Windows | 8.0.5 |
| Workstation | 8.x | Linux | not affected |
| Player | 5.x | any | not affected |
| Player | 4.x | Windows | 4.0.5 or later |
| Player | 4.x | Linux | not affected |
| Fusion | any | Mac | not affected |
| ESXi | any | ESXi | not affected |
| ESX | any | ESX | not affected |
b. VMware Workstation and Player DLL binary planting vulnerability.
Workstation and Player have a binary planting vulnerability. An attacker who can write their malicious executable to a system folder on the host, may be able to run code under certain circumstances.
VMware would like to thank Derek Soeder of Cylance, Inc. for reporting this issue to us.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2012-5459 to this issue.
Column 4 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 | Replace with/Apply Patch |
| vCenter | any | Windows | not affected |
| Workstation | 9.x | any | not affected |
| Workstation | 8.x | Windows | 8.0.5 |
| Workstation | 8.x | Linux | not affected |
| Player | 5.x | any | not affected |
| Player | 4.x | Windows | 4.0.5 or later |
| Player | 4.x | Linux | not affected |
| Fusion | any | Mac | not affected |
| ESXi | any | ESXi | not affected |
| ESX | any | ESX | not affected |
c. VMware OVF Tool format string vulnerability.
The OVFTool has a format string vulnerability. Exploitation of this issue may lead to code execution. In order to exploit the issue, the attacker would need to trick the user into loading their malicious OVF file.
It is recommended that only OVF files from trusted sources should be used.
VMware would like to thank Jeremy Brown of Microsoft for reporting this issue to us.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2012-3569 to this issue.
Column 4 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 | Replace with/Apply Patch |
| vCenter | any | Windows | not affected |
| OVF Tool | 3.x | any | not affected |
| OVF Tool | 2.1 | Windows | OVF Tool 3.0.1 |
| OVF Tool | 2.1 | Linux/Mac | not affected |
| OVF Tool | 2.0 | any | not affected |
| Workstation | 9.x | any | not affected |
| Workstation | 8.x | Windows | 8.0.5 |
| Workstation | 8.x | Linux | not affected |
| Player | 5.x | any | not affected |
| Player | 4.x | Windows | 4.0.5 or later |
| Player | 4.x | Linux | not affected |
| Fusion | any | Mac | not affected |
| ESXi | any | ESXi | not affected |
| ESX | any | ESX | not affected |
Note: Workstation, Player and the vSphere Web Client (part of vCenter Server) use the OVF Tool to load OVF files. Other products, including vCenter Server (except vSPhere Web Client), ESX, and vCloud Director do not use the OVF Tool to parse OVF files.
4. Solution
Please review the patch/release notes for your product and version and verify the checksum of your downloaded file.
OVF Tool 3.0.1
https://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/
VMware Workstation 8.0.5
https://www.vmware.com/go/downloadworkstation
Release notes:
https://www.vmware.com/support/ws80/doc/releasenotes_workstation_805.html
Player 4.0.5
http://www.vmware.com/go/downloadplayer
Release notes:
https://www.vmware.com/support/player40/doc/releasenotes_player405.html
5. References
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-5458
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-5459
http://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2012-3569
6. Change log
2012-11-08 VMSA-2012-0015
Initial security advisory in conjunction with the release of Workstation 8.0.5 and Player 4.0.5 on 2012-11-06.
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 at lists.vmware.com
- bugtraq at securityfocus.com
- full-disclosure at lists.grok.org.uk
E-mail: security at vmware.com
PGP key at: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1055
VMware Security Advisories
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories
VMware security response policy
http://www.vmware.com/support/policies/security_response.html
General support life cycle policy
http://www.vmware.com/support/policies/eos.html
VMware Infrastructure support life cycle policy
http://www.vmware.com/support/policies/eos_vi.html
Copyright 2012 VMware Inc. All rights reserved.