CVE-2020-17392: Parallels Desktop prl_hypervisor Untrusted Pointer Dereference Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Aug 25, 2020
·
Updated

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop 15.1.3-47255. 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 handler for HOSTIOCTLSETKERNELSYMBOLS in the prlhypervisor kext. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied value prior to dereferencing it as a pointer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute code in the context of the kernel. Was ZDI-CAN-10519.

Other sources

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop. 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 handler for HOSTIOCTLSETKERNELSYMBOLS in the prlhypervisor kext. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied value prior to dereferencing it as a pointer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute code in the context of the kernel.

Affected Software

2 affected components
Parallels Parallels Desktop Macos<16.0.0
Parallels Desktop

Event History

Aug 25, 2020
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:20 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:20 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Mar 24, 2025
Advisory Published
via ZDI·07:01 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID?

The vulnerability ID is CVE-2020-17392.

2

What is the title of the vulnerability?

The title of the vulnerability is 'Parallels Desktop prl_hypervisor Untrusted Pointer Dereference Privilege Escalation Vulnerability'.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2020-17392?

The severity of CVE-2020-17392 is high with a severity value of 8.8.

4

What software version is affected by CVE-2020-17392?

The affected software version is Parallels Desktop up to version 16.0.0.

5

How can I fix CVE-2020-17392?

To fix CVE-2020-17392, it is recommended to update to a version of Parallels Desktop that is higher than 16.0.0.

Contact

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