Hypervisor memory disclosure via vmxnet3 heap overflow
Published Jun 25, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024
Heap overflow in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion allows local users in a vmxnet3-equipped guest to read hypervisor memory. The vendor identifies the locus as vmxnet3 but publishes no triggering input, allocation error, or bounds-check failure explaining how guest traffic overruns heap storage. The attacker requires access to a guest with vmxnet3 present, low privileges suffice, and additional conditions outside the attacker's control must align; impact is limited to disclosure.
Summary
What happened
Heap overflow in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion allows local users in a vmxnet3-equipped guest to read hypervisor memory. The vendor identifies the locus as vmxnet3 but publishes no triggering input, allocation error, or bounds-check failure explaining how guest traffic overruns heap storage. The attacker requires access to a guest with vmxnet3 present, low privileges suffice, and additional conditions outside the attacker's control must align; impact is limited to disclosure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2020-3971
- Published
- Jun 25, 2020
- Updated
- Aug 4, 2024
- Vendor
- VMware
- Product
- VMware Workstation
- Classifications
- CWE-787, T1005
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 25, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=15.x before 15.0.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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