Re: VMware GSX Server 2.5.1 / Workstation 4.0 (for Linux systems) vulnerability

From: VMware (vmware-security-alertat_private)
Date: Fri Aug 01 2003 - 17:33:41 PDT

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    Description
    -----------
    
    The following products have a vulnerability that can allow a
    user of the host system to start an arbitrary program with
    root privileges. 
    
    
    This was previously reported in this advisory:
    http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/330184
    
    This notice announces an additional release that corrects 
    this vulnerability.   This release is called:
    - VMware Workstation 3.2.1 patch 1
    
    Details/Impact
    --------------
    
    By manipulating the VMware Workstation environment variables,
    a program such as a shell session with root privileges could
    be started when a virtual machine is launched. The user would
    then have full access to the host.
    
    VMware strongly urges customers Workstation (for Linux
    systems) to upgrade as soon as possible. 
    
    Customers running any version of Workstation (for Windows
    operating systems) are not subject to this vulnerability. 
    
    Solution
    --------
    
    To correct the vulnerability in VMware Workstation 3.2, VMware
    released the following: 
    
    - Workstation 3.2.1 patch 1
    
    Details
    -----------
    
    VMware Workstation customers, if covered under the VMware
    Workstation Product Upgrade Policy as described at:
    
    http://www.vmware.com/vmwarestore/pricing.html
    
    are entitled to download and install this updated version from
    
    http://www.vmware.com/vmwarestore/newstore/download.jsp?ProductCode=WKST3-
    LX-ESD
    
    
    This is available today. 
    
    Upgrade instructions are at
    
    http://www.vmware.com/support/ws3/doc/upgrade_ws.html
    
    
    Notes
    -----
    
    * VMware wishes to thank Paul Szabo of the University of Sydney for 
    alerting us
    to this vulnerability.
    
    His Web page is at: 
    http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au:8000/u/psz/
    
    
    * VMware has posted a knowledge base article that describes this problem:
    
    http://www.vmware.com/support/kb/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1039
    



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