VMware Critical Updates and Vulnerabilities

Number: AV09-017
Date: 14 April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this advisory is to bring attention to updates and recently disclosed vulnerabilities.

Assessment

VMWare has released updates to address critical vulnerabilities, including a vulnerability in the virtual machine display function, which may allow an attacker in the guest operating system to execute arbitrary code on the host system. This may facilitate a complete compromise of the host computer.

CVE-2009-1244 has rated this vulnerability as high and the access complexity as low. http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2009-1244

Affected products:
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• VMware Workstation 6.5.1 and earlier
• VMware Player 2.5.1 and earlier
• VMware ACE 2.5.1 and earlier
• VMware Server 2.0
• VMware Server 1.0.8 and earlier
• VMware Fusion 2.0.3 and earlier
• VMware ESXi 3.5 without specific patches
• VMware ESX 3.5 without specific patches
• VMware ESX 3.0.3 without specific patches
• VMware ESX 3.0.2 without specific patches

Suggested action

CCIRC recommends that administrators identify affected systems and assess the need to apply the appropriate fixes.

References:

http://lists.vmware.com/pipermail/security-announce/2009/000055.html
http://lists.vmware.com/pipermail/security-announce/2009/000054.html
http://lists.vmware.com/pipermail/security-announce/2009/000053.html
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6190
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6127
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/34471

Note to Readers

The Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) operates within Public Safety Canada, and works with partners inside and outside Canada to mitigate cyber threats to vital networks outside the federal government. These include systems that keep Canada's critical infrastructure functioning properly, such as the electrical grid and financial networks, or contain valuable commercial information that underpins our economic prosperity. CCIRC supports the owners and operators of systems of national importance, including critical infrastructure, and is responsible for coordinating the national response to any serious cyber security incident.

For general information, please contact Public Safety Canada's Public Affairs division at:

Telephone: 613-944-4875 or 1-800-830-3118
Fax: 613-998-9589
E-mail: communications@ps-sp.gc.ca