ToolsApplication · VMware
CVE-2015-5191
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 · uneditedVMware Tools prior to 10.0.9 contains multiple file system races in libDeployPkg, related to the use of hard-coded paths under /tmp. Successful exploitation of this issue may result in a local privilege escalation. CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 confidenceVMware Tools versions prior to 10.0.9 contain TOCTOU (time-of-check-time-of-use) race conditions in the libDeployPkg component. The vulnerability stems from the use of hardcoded temporary file paths under /tmp, which allows local attackers to manipulate files via symlink attacks during the race window, potentially leading to local privilege escalation.
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
ToolsApplication
<= 10.0.8CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Identify VMware Tools version on the VMRun 'vmware-toolbox-cmd -v' on Linux guests, or check 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Tools' in the Windows Registry, or use 'vmware-rpctool "version"' inside the guestAffected if The reported version is 10.0.8 or earlier (any version below 10.0.9)
-
Verify libDeployPkg component is presentCheck for the existence of the libDeployPkg library file in the VMware Tools installation directory (commonly found under /usr/lib/vmware-tools or C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools)Affected if The libDeployPkg component is installed and loaded by VMware Tools
-
Confirm temporary file usage in /tmpMonitor or inspect the /tmp directory for files created by vmware-user or vmware-tools processes during operations (look for predictable filenames under /tmp used by the DeployPkg functionality)Affected if Temporary files are being created in /tmp with predictable paths that could be targeted for symlink attacks
-
Verify user has local access to /tmpCheck if local unprivileged users can create symlinks or files in /tmp directories used by VMware ToolsAffected if Local users have write access to /tmp and can perform symlink attacks during the race window
A system is affected if it runs VMware Tools version 10.0.8 or earlier and the libDeployPkg component is active, allowing symlink-based privilege escalation during the TOCTOU race condition window.
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 Tools to version 10.0.9 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Identify all VMs running vulnerable VMware Tools versions and apply the update in a controlled manner.
Fix this in Tools
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-5191 — 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-2015-5191 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
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.
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.
- 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