CVE-2024-22273 - Uncovering the Out-of-Bounds Read/Write Vulnerability in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Storage Controllers and its Potential Exploits

The cybersecurity landscape is continuously evolving with new threats and vulnerabilities discovered regularly, putting systems and data at risk. One such recently discovered vulnerability is the CVE-2024-22273, which affects the storage controllers on VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion. This post aims to present an exclusive, in-depth analysis of this vulnerability, its potential impacts, and some helpful code snippets and references to understand and mitigate this issue.

Background

VMware, as one of the leading providers of virtualization and cloud computing services, has a wide range of products in its portfolio. ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion are among its popular offerings, with each serving a specific purpose:

VMware ESXi - A bare-metal hypervisor providing virtualization for x86 computer architectures.

2. VMware Workstation - A desktop application for Windows and Linux that allows running multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single computer.
3. VMware Fusion - A desktop application for macOS, which enables Mac users to run Windows and other operating systems alongside macOS.

The Vulnerability - CVE-2024-22273

The CVE-2024-22273 vulnerability relates to an out-of-bounds read/write issue in the storage controllers on ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion [1]. A malicious actor who has access to a virtual machine with storage controllers enabled could potentially exploit this issue to create a denial of service (DoS) condition or execute code on the hypervisor from a virtual machine in conjunction with other vulnerabilities.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability exists because the storage controllers process client requests without proper boundary checks. This flaw could be exploited by an attacker by sending a specially crafted request to the storage controller. The exploit may then allow the attacker to read or write data outside of the virtual machine's assigned memory space, leading to DoS or remote code execution on the host system.

For illustration purposes, consider the following hypothetical code snippet that highlights the improper boundary check:

def process_request(request):
    data = request["data"]
    offset = request["offset"]

    if not is_valid_offset(offset):
        return "Invalid offset"

    # Improper boundary check may lead to out-of-bounds read/write
    storage_controller.write_data(data, offset)

To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker might craft an HTTP request with large offset value

curl -X POST http://target/storage_controller -d '{"data":"malicious data", "offset":900000000}'

Mitigation and References

VMware has confirmed the vulnerability and released patches for the affected products [2]. Users are encouraged to upgrade their vulnerable installations as per the provided recommendations and ensure that proper access controls are in place to limit unauthorized access to the virtual machines.

For further information, consult the original advisories and references

1. VMware Security Advisory - VMSA-2024-001
2. CVE-2024-22273 - NVD
3. VMware KB - Patching and Upgrading ESXi
4. VMware KB - Updating VMware Workstation
5. VMware KB - Updating VMware Fusion

Conclusion

CVE-2024-22273 is a serious vulnerability affecting the storage controllers on VMware's widely used products - ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion. With the potential for DoS attacks or remote code execution on the host system, it is critical to apply the necessary patches and implement appropriate security measures to protect your virtual environments from malicious actors. Stay informed, stay safe.

Timeline

Published on: 05/21/2024 18:15:08 UTC
Last modified on: 05/22/2024 12:46:53 UTC