CVE-2018-6977 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A vulnerability has been identified in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion that could lead to a denial-of-service attack.

Understanding CVE-2018-6977

A vulnerability in VMware products could allow an attacker to render virtual machines unresponsive.

What is CVE-2018-6977?

CVE-2018-6977 is a denial-of-service vulnerability found in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion due to an infinite loop within a 3D-rendering shader.

The Impact of CVE-2018-6977

If successfully exploited, an attacker with standard user privileges in the guest can render the virtual machine unresponsive. This could also affect other virtual machines on the host or even the host itself, causing them to become unresponsive.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-6977

A brief overview of the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is caused by an infinite loop within a 3D-rendering shader in VMware ESXi (versions 6.7, 6.5, and 6.0), Workstation (versions 15.x and 14.x), and Fusion (versions 11.x and 10.x).

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware ESXi versions 6.7, 6.5, and 6.0
VMware Workstation versions 15.x and 14.x
VMware Fusion versions 11.x and 10.x

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker with standard user privileges in the guest to make the virtual machine unresponsive.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2018-6977 vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary security patches provided by VMware.
Monitor VMware's security advisories for updates and follow best security practices.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update VMware products to the latest versions.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches released by VMware to address the vulnerability.