CVE-2019-5518: (Pwn2Own) VMware Workstation UHCI Out-Of-Bounds Access Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Apr 1, 2019
·
Updated

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on vulnerable installations of VMware Workstation. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the processing of data sent to UHCI endpoints. Crafted data sent to UHCI endpoints can trigger a memory access past the end of an allocated data structure. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute code in the context of the hypervisor.

Other sources

VMware ESXi (6.7 before ESXi670-201903001, 6.5 before ESXi650-201903001, 6.0 before ESXi600-201903001), Workstation (15.x before 15.0.4, 14.x before 14.1.7), Fusion (11.x before 11.0.3, 10.x before 10.1.6) contain an out-of-bounds read/write vulnerability in the virtual USB 1.1 UHCI (Universal Host Controller Interface). Exploitation of this issue requires an attacker to have access to a virtual machine with a virtual USB controller present. This issue may allow a guest to execute code on the host.

Affected Software

76 affected components
VMware Workstation
VMware Fusion>=10.0.0<10.1.6
VMware Fusion>=11.0.0<11.0.3
VMware Workstation>=14.0.0<14.1.7
VMware Workstation>=15.0.0<15.0.4
VMware ESXi=6.0
VMware ESXi=6.0-600-201811001
VMware ESXi=6.0-600-201811401
VMware ESXi=6.5
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707101
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707102
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707103
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707201
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707202
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707203
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707204
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707205
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707206
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707207
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707208
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707209
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707210
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707211
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707212
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707213
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707214
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707215
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707216
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707217
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707218
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707219
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707220
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201707221
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201811001
VMware ESXi=6.5-650-201811301
VMware ESXi=6.7
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810101
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810102
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810103
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810201
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810202
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810203
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810204
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810205
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810206
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810207
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810208
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810209
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810210
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810211
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810212
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810213
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810214
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810215
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810216
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810217
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810218
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810219
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810220
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810221
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810222
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810223
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810224
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810225
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810226
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810227
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810228
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810229
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810230
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810231
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810232
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810233
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201810234
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201901401
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201901402
VMware ESXi=6.7-670-201901403

Event History

Apr 1, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:39 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:39 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Mar 4, 2025
Advisory Published
via ZDI·05:30 PM
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2019-5518?

The severity of CVE-2019-5518 is classified as high due to its potential for privilege escalation.

2

How do I fix CVE-2019-5518?

To fix CVE-2019-5518, upgrade to the latest version of VMware Workstation or Fusion as recommended in the security advisory.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2019-5518?

CVE-2019-5518 impacts certain versions of VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion, particularly those below specified release versions.

4

Can CVE-2019-5518 be exploited remotely?

No, CVE-2019-5518 requires local access to execute low-privileged code on the affected system for exploitation.

5

What is the impact of CVE-2019-5518?

The impact of CVE-2019-5518 is that it allows local attackers to escalate their privileges on affected VMware installations.

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