CVE-2020-3966 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion products are affected by a heap-overflow vulnerability due to a race condition issue in the USB 2.0 controller (EHCI), potentially allowing code execution on the hypervisor from a virtual machine.

Understanding CVE-2020-3966

This CVE involves a critical vulnerability in VMware products that could be exploited by a malicious actor with local access to a virtual machine.

What is CVE-2020-3966?

CVE-2020-3966 is a heap-overflow vulnerability in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion products caused by a race condition in the USB 2.0 controller.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3966

The vulnerability could enable an attacker to execute code on the hypervisor from a virtual machine, posing a significant security risk.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3966

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is a heap-overflow issue resulting from a race condition in the USB 2.0 controller (EHCI) of VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion products.

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware ESXi 7.0 before ESXi_7.0.0-1.20.16321839, 6.7 before ESXi670-202004101-SG, 6.5 before ESXi650-202005401-SG
Workstation 15.x before 15.5.2
Fusion 11.x before 11.5.2

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, a malicious actor needs local access to a virtual machine. Additional specific conditions must also be met for successful exploitation.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-3966 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by VMware promptly.
Monitor and restrict access to virtual machines to prevent unauthorized exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update VMware products to the latest versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address security gaps.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches released by VMware to address the CVE-2020-3966 vulnerability.