CVE-2017-4938 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability has been identified in VMware Workstation and Fusion that could lead to crashing virtual machines due to a guest RPC NULL pointer dereference.

Understanding CVE-2017-4938

This CVE involves a vulnerability in VMware Workstation and Fusion versions that could be exploited to crash virtual machines.

What is CVE-2017-4938?

CVE-2017-4938 is a vulnerability in VMware Workstation and Fusion versions that allows attackers with standard user privileges to crash their virtual machines.

The Impact of CVE-2017-4938

If exploited, this vulnerability could result in the crashing of virtual machines for users with standard user privileges.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-4938

This section provides technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability involves a guest RPC NULL pointer dereference in VMware Workstation and Fusion.

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware Workstation 12.x before 12.5.8
VMware Fusion 8.x before 8.5.9

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers with normal user privileges can exploit this vulnerability to crash their virtual machines.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2017-4938 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update VMware Workstation to version 12.5.8 or later.
Update VMware Fusion to version 8.5.9 or later.
Monitor for any unusual virtual machine crashes.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update VMware products to the latest versions.
Implement least privilege access controls to limit user capabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by VMware promptly to address vulnerabilities.