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VMware Critical VMSA-2024-0019: Addressing Heap-Overflow and Privilege Escalation Vulnerabilities in vCenter Server

VMware released a security advisory, VMSA-2024-0019, detailing critical vulnerabilities affecting VMware vCenter Server. These vulnerabilities include a remote code execution (RCE) and heap-overflow vulnerabilities, which could potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges within affected systems. VMware has since released updates to mitigate these security flaws, urging organizations to update their vCenter environments immediately.


Overview of VMSA-2024-0019


Advisory Summary

  • Release Date: September 2024

  • CVE Identifiers:

    • CVE-2024-38812(Remote Code Execution)

    • CVE-2024-38813 (Heap Overflow)

  • Severity: Critical

  • Impacted Products: VMware vCenter Server (specific versions)

  • Fix Available: Yes (through VMware patches)


Vulnerabilities Explained :


VMware vCenter Server heap-overflow vulnerability (CVE-2024-38812) :

  • Description: The vCenter Server contains a heap-overflow vulnerability in the implementation of the DCERPC protocol. VMware has evaluated the severity of this issue to be in the Critical severity range with a maximum CVSSv3 base score of 9.8

  • Potential Impact: Successful exploitation allows attackers to take complete control of the affected vCenter Server, leading to severe consequences, such as unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, or injecting malicious code into the environment.

  • Resolution : Apply the updates listed in the below matrix.


VMware vCenter privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2024-38813) 

  • Description: The vCenter Server contains a privilege escalation vulnerability. VMware has evaluated the severity of this issue to be in the Important severity range with a maximum CVSSv3 base score of 7.5.

  • Potential Impact: If exploited, attackers could escalate their privileges, giving them control over key system functions or sensitive data. Heap-overflow attacks can also be used to crash or destabilize systems, leading to downtime and service disruptions.

  • Resolution : Apply the updates listed in the below matrix.


VMware Product

Version

Running On

CVE

CVSSv3

Severity

Fixed Version

Workarounds

Additional Documentation

vCenter Server 

8.0

Any


CVE-2024-38812, CVE-2024-38813

Critical

None

vCenter Server  

7.0

Any

CVE-2024-38812, CVE-2024-38813

Critical

None

VMware Cloud Foundation

5.x

Any

CVE-2024-38812, CVE-2024-38813

Critical

Async patch to 8.0 U3b

None

Async Patching Guide: KB88287

VMware Cloud Foundation

4.x

Any

CVE-2024-38812, CVE-2024-38813

Critical

Async patch to 7.0 U3s

None


Why You Should Act Now:


These vulnerabilities are classified as critical, meaning they have the potential to cause severe damage to an organization if exploited. The fact that the RCE vulnerability can be exploited without authentication highlights the urgency of applying patches immediately. Attackers actively seek out vulnerable systems, and delaying updates could expose your infrastructure to serious risks.


Stay proactive and vigilant by keeping your VMware systems up to date, and regularly monitor for any new advisories or patches.


For more detailed technical information, you can visit the official VMware Security Advisory page for VMSA-2024-0019.


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