CVE-2020-3999 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion, and VMware Cloud Foundation are affected by a denial of service vulnerability due to improper input validation in GuestInfo, potentially leading to a crash of the virtual machine's vmx process.

Understanding CVE-2020-3999

This CVE identifies a denial of service vulnerability in VMware products.

What is CVE-2020-3999?

CVE-2020-3999 is a vulnerability in VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion, and VMware Cloud Foundation that allows a malicious actor with normal user privilege access to crash a virtual machine, resulting in a denial of service condition.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3999

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to disrupt the normal operation of virtual machines, potentially causing downtime and service interruptions.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3999

This section provides technical details of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from improper input validation in GuestInfo, enabling an attacker to crash the vmx process of a virtual machine.

Affected Systems and Versions

VMware ESXi 7.0 prior to ESXi70U1c-17325551
VMware Workstation 16.x prior to 16.0 and 15.x prior to 15.5.7
VMware Fusion 12.x prior to 12.0 and 11.x prior to 11.5.7

Exploitation Mechanism

A malicious actor with normal user privilege access to a virtual machine can exploit the vulnerability to crash the vmx process, leading to a denial of service condition.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-3999 is crucial to maintaining security.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary security patches provided by VMware promptly.
Monitor for any unusual activity on virtual machines that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch VMware products to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
Implement strong access controls to limit user privileges and reduce the risk of unauthorized exploitation.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all affected systems are updated with the latest patches and security fixes to address the CVE-2020-3999 vulnerability.