dbcve.org
AceApplication · VMware

CVE-2008-2100

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-06-05
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.0.3 or later.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Multiple buffer overflows in VIX API 1.1.x before 1.1.4 build 93057 on VMware Workstation 5.x and 6.x, VMware Player 1.x and 2.x, VMware ACE 2.x, VMware Server 1.x, VMware Fusion 1.x, VMware ESXi 3.5, and VMware ESX 3.0.1 through 3.5 allow guest OS users to execute arbitrary code on the host OS via unspecified vectors.

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 · moderate confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerabilities in VMware VIX API versions prior to 1.1.4 allow a guest OS user to escape virtualization boundaries and execute arbitrary code on the host OS. The vulnerability affects multiple VMware products including Workstation, Player, ACE, Server, Fusion, ESXi, and ESX. This represents a critical guest-to-host privilege escalation flaw.

MitigationApply VMware VIX API version 1.1.4 build 93057 or later to all affected VMware installations. For systems where immediate patching is not possible, consider restricting VM network access and limiting untrusted users from guest OS access.

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
AceApplication
Affected:>= 1.0, <= 1.0.5>= 2.0, <= 2.0.3
Esx ServerApplication
Affected:= 3.0= 3.5
EsxiApplication
Affected:= 3.5
FusionApplication
Affected:<= 1.1.1
PlayerApplication
Affected:>= 1.0.0, <= 1.0.6>= 2.0, <= 2.0.3
ServerApplication
Affected:<= 1.0.5
WorkstationApplication
Affected:>= 5.5, <= 5.5.6>= 6.0, <= 6.0.3
EsxOperating system
Affected:= 2.5.4= 2.5.5= 3.0.0= 3.0.1= 3.0.2= 3.5

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed VMware products
    On the host system, check for installed VMware software by looking for product directories in Program Files (Windows) or /Applications (Mac), or using system inventory commands like 'rpm -qa | grep -i vmware' (Linux) or 'ls /usr/lib/vmware' (Linux). Common product names include VMware Workstation, Player, Server, Fusion, ACE, or ESX/ESXi.
    Affected if Any of the following products are installed: VMware Workstation 5.5-5.5.6 or 6.0-6.0.3, Player 1.0.0-1.0.6 or 2.0-2.0.3, Server 1.0-1.0.5, Fusion up to 1.1.1, ACE 1.0-1.0.5 or 2.0-2.0.3, ESX 2.5.4-2.5.5 or 3.0.0-3.0.2 or 3.5, or ESXi 3.5.
  2. Determine VIX API version installed
    Locate the VIX API installation. On Windows, check Program Files\VMware\VMware VIX\ or the VMware product directory for a version file or executable. On Linux, check /usr/lib/vmware-vix/ or /usr/local/lib/vmware-vix/. Run 'vmware-vix-version' or 'vix-showversion' if available, or read the 'version.txt' or similar version file in the VIX directory.
    Affected if The installed VIX API version is earlier than 1.1.4 (build 93057).
  3. Verify VIX API is in use
    Check VM configuration files (.vmx for VMware Workstation/Player/Fusion, .vmx or vmx for ESX/Server) for VIX-related settings such as 'vix.autoVersionTools', 'vix.enable', or references to VIX functions. Also check if VMware Tools within guest VMs includes VIX components.
    Affected if VIX API functionality is enabled or configured in any virtual machine on the host.
  4. Check ESX/ESXi version specifically
    For ESX or ESXi hosts, run 'vmware -v' from the service console (ESX) or use 'esxupdate -v' or check /usr/lib/vmware/ for version info (ESXi). Alternatively, check the VMware Infrastructure Client or 'vimsh -ne "lss"' for version details.
    Affected if Running ESX 2.5.4, 2.5.5, 3.0.0, 3.0.1, 3.0.2, or 3.5, or ESXi 3.5.
  5. Confirm product and VIX version combination
    Cross-reference the identified VMware product version with the VIX API version. Use the product's About menu (Help > About VMware Workstation) or 'vmware -v' command to confirm the exact product build number.
    Affected if The product version falls within the affected ranges AND the VIX API version is below 1.1.4.

The environment is affected if any VMware product from the affected version ranges is installed AND the VIX API version on the host is earlier than 1.1.4 (build 93057), with VIX functionality enabled for guest VMs.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 6.0.3
Interim mitigation

Apply VMware VIX API version 1.1.4 build 93057 or later to all affected VMware installations. For systems where immediate patching is not possible, consider restricting VM network access and limiting untrusted users from guest OS access.

Fix this in Ace Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-2100 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-2100 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data