ServerApplication · VMware
CVE-2007-2491
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe PIIX4 power management subsystem in EMC VMware Workstation 5.5.3.34685 and VMware Server 1.0.1.29996 allows local users to write to arbitrary memory locations via a crafted poke to I/O port 0x1004, triggering a denial of service (virtual machine crash) or other unspecified impact, a related issue to CVE-2007-1337.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in VMware's PIIX4 power management subsystem emulation. A local attacker can write to arbitrary memory locations by issuing crafted pokes to I/O port 0x1004, causing VM crashes or potentially executing arbitrary code.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
ServerApplication
= 1.0.1_build_29996
WorkstationApplication
= 5.5.3_build_34685CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed VMware productCheck Start Menu for VMware Workstation or VMware Server, or look in Add/Remove Programs for the installed VMware productAffected if Either VMware Server or VMware Workstation is installed
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Check VMware Server version and build numberLaunch VMware Server, go to Help > About, or check the installation directory for a version file; the exact build number is requiredAffected if Build number equals 29996 exactly (VMware Server 1.0.1_build_29996)
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Check VMware Workstation version and build numberLaunch VMware Workstation, go to Help > About VMware Workstation, or check the installation directory for version information; the exact build number is requiredAffected if Build number equals 34685 exactly (VMware Workstation 5.5.3_build_34685)
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Verify PIIX4 power management emulation is activeThis is enabled by default for x86 virtual machines - the vulnerability exists in the hypervisor's emulation of the PIIX4 chipset at I/O port 0x1004Affected if Running any virtual machine on the affected VMware version exposes the vulnerable subsystem
You are affected only if you are running exactly VMware Server 1.0.1_build_29996 or VMware Workstation 5.5.3_build_34685; other versions or products are not vulnerable to this CVE.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade VMware Workstation and Server to versions that include the patched PIIX4 power management subsystem, as this vulnerability is in the virtualization software itself rather than the guest operating system.
Fix this in Server
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-2491 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-2491 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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