dbcve.org
FusionApplication · VMware

CVE-2009-3281

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-10-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.0.5 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
The vmx86 kernel extension in VMware Fusion before 2.0.6 build 196839 does not use correct file permissions, which allows host OS users to gain privileges 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

The vmx86 kernel extension in VMware Fusion versions prior to 2.0.6 build 196839 does not implement proper file permissions, allowing local users on the host operating system to potentially escalate privileges through unspecified vectors.

MitigationUpgrade VMware Fusion to version 2.0.6 build 196839 or later to apply the corrected file permissions for the vmx86 kernel extension.

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
FusionApplication
Affected:<= 2.0.5= 1.0= 1.1= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 2.0= 2.0.1= 2.0.2= 2.0.3= 2.0.4

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. Verify VMware Fusion is installed
    Check if /Applications/VMware Fusion.app exists, or run 'ls /Applications | grep -i vmware'
    Affected if VMware Fusion application is present on the system
  2. Determine installed VMware Fusion version
    Run '/Applications/VMware\ Fusion.app/Contents/MacOS/vmwarefusion -v' or check the version in the application info (Get Info window)
    Affected if Version is 1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.0.3, 2.0.4, or any version <= 2.0.5
  3. Locate the vmx86 kernel extension
    Run 'ls -la /Library/Application\ Support/VMware\ Fusion/' and look for files named vmx86, vmx86.kext, or similar kernel extension components
    Affected if The vmx86 kernel extension file exists in the VMware Fusion support directory
  4. Check file permissions on vmx86 kernel extension
    Run 'ls -la' on the vmx86 kernel extension file found in the previous step. Inspect the owner, group, and permission bits (e.g., -rwsr-xr-x or similar)
    Affected if The file has overly permissive ownership (e.g., world-writable or owned by a non-root user) or lacks proper restriction

A user is affected if VMware Fusion version 1.0 through 2.0.4 (or any version <= 2.0.5) is installed and the vmx86 kernel extension has improper file permissions that allow unauthorized local access.

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 2.0.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade VMware Fusion to version 2.0.6 build 196839 or later to apply the corrected file permissions for the vmx86 kernel extension.

Fix this in Fusion Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-3281 — 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-2009-3281 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