vm-support 0.88 in VMware Tools, as distributed with VMware Workstation through 10.0.3 and other products, allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a file in /tmp.
Weakness
The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | Vmware | * | * |
| Vm-support | Vmware | 0.88 (including) | 0.88 (including) |
| Workstation | Vmware | * | 10.0.3 (including) |
| Workstation | Vmware | 10.0 (including) | 10.0 (including) |
| Workstation | Vmware | 10.0.1 (including) | 10.0.1 (including) |
| Workstation | Vmware | 10.0.2 (including) | 10.0.2 (including) |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | RedHat | open-vm-tools-0:9.10.2-4.el7 | * |
| Open-vm-tools | Ubuntu | esm-infra-legacy/trusty | * |
| Open-vm-tools | Ubuntu | trusty | * |
| Open-vm-tools | Ubuntu | trusty/esm | * |
| Open-vm-tools | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Potential Mitigations
- Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
- Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/132.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/17.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/35.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/76.html
References
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Aug/71
- http://www.osvdb.org/110458
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1030758
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/95493
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Aug/71
- http://www.osvdb.org/110458
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1030758
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/95493