Vulnerability identifier: #VU15786

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv3.1: 5.7 [CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-6981

CWE-ID: CWE-121

Exploitation vector: Local network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
VMware ESXi
Operating systems & Components / Operating system
VMware Workstation
Client/Desktop applications / Virtualization software
VMware Fusion
Client/Desktop applications / Virtualization software

Vendor: VMware, Inc

Description

The vulnerability allows an adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The weakness exists due to uninitialized stack memory usage in the vmxnet3 virtual network adapter. A remote attacker can trigger memory corruption if vmxnet3 is enabled and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

VMware ESXi: 6.0 - 6.7

VMware Workstation: 14.0 - 15.0.0

VMware Fusion: 10.0 - 11.0.0

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External links
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2018-0027.html

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the local network (LAN).

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.