CVE-2022-22977
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in VMware Tools for Windows that allows a malicious actor with non-administrative local user privileges to cause denial-of-service or information disclosure. The vulnerability affects VMware Tools versions 12.0.0, 11.x.y, and 10.x.y on Windows guest operating systems. Attackers must already have local user access to exploit this vulnerability.
💻 Affected Systems
- VMware Tools for Windows
📦 What is this software?
Tools by Vmware
Tools by Vmware
Tools by Vmware
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with local user access could read arbitrary files from the Windows guest OS, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, or other data, leading to further system compromise.
Likely Case
Local users exploiting this vulnerability to cause denial-of-service conditions or read limited system files they wouldn't normally have access to.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and patching, the risk is minimal as attackers need local user access first.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local user access to the Windows guest OS. XXE vulnerabilities are typically straightforward to exploit once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: VMware Tools 12.1.0 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2022-0015.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download VMware Tools 12.1.0 or later from VMware's official website. 2. Install the updated version on affected Windows guest VMs. 3. Restart the guest operating system to complete the installation.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict local user access
windowsLimit non-administrative user access to Windows guest VMs running vulnerable VMware Tools versions
Disable XML external entity processing
windowsConfigure XML parsers to disable external entity processing if VMware Tools configuration allows
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit which users have local access to Windows guest VMs
- Monitor for unusual file access patterns or denial-of-service conditions on Windows guest VMs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check VMware Tools version in Windows guest OS via Control Panel > Programs and Features or using 'vmtoolsd -v' commandCheck Version:
vmtoolsd -vVerify Fix Applied:
Verify VMware Tools version is 12.1.0 or later after patching📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual XML parsing errors in VMware Tools logs
- Multiple failed XML processing attempts
- Unexpected file access patterns from VMware Tools processes
Network Indicators:
- No network indicators as this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
EventLog:Windows-Security AND (EventID:4688 OR EventID:4689) AND ProcessName:vmtoolsd.exe AND CommandLine:*xml*