CVE-2017-4903 : Security Advisory and Response

VMware ESXi, Workstation Pro / Player, and Fusion Pro / Fusion are affected by an uninitialized stack memory usage vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2017-4903

What is CVE-2017-4903?

CVE-2017-4903 is a vulnerability in VMware products that allows a guest to potentially execute malicious code on the host.

The Impact of CVE-2017-4903

This vulnerability affects VMware ESXi versions 6.5, 6.0 U3, 6.0 U2, 6.0 U1, and 5.5 without the corresponding patches, as well as Workstation Pro / Player 12.x prior to 12.5.5 and Fusion Pro / Fusion 8.x prior to 8.5.6.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-4903

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves uninitialized stack memory usage in SVGA, potentially allowing a guest to execute code on the host.

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware ESXi versions 6.5, 6.0 U3, 6.0 U2, 6.0 U1, and 5.5 without specific patches
Workstation Pro / Player 12.x prior to 12.5.5
Fusion Pro / Fusion 8.x prior to 8.5.6

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability could be exploited by a guest to execute malicious code on the host.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary patches provided by VMware for the affected versions
Monitor VMware security advisories for updates

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update VMware products to the latest versions
Implement network segmentation and access controls

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches released by VMware