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FusionApplication · VMware

CVE-2017-4904

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2017-06-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.5.6 / 12.5.5 or later.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 XHCI controller in VMware ESXi 6.5 without patch ESXi650-201703410-SG, 6.0 U3 without patch ESXi600-201703401-SG, 6.0 U2 without patch ESXi600-201703403-SG, 6.0 U1 without patch ESXi600-201703402-SG, and 5.5 without patch ESXi550-201703401-SG; Workstation Pro / Player 12.x prior to 12.5.5; and Fusion Pro / Fusion 8.x prior to 8.5.6 has uninitialized memory usage. This issue may allow a guest to execute code on the host. The issue is reduced to a Denial of Service of the guest on ESXi 5.5.

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 confidence

The XHCI (USB 3.0) virtual controller in multiple VMware products contains a use-of-uninitialized-memory vulnerability. A malicious guest VM can exploit this to escape virtualization boundaries and execute code on the host system, achieving VM escape with high-severity impact.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patches: ESXi650-201703410-SG (6.5), ESXi600-201703401-SG (6.0 U3), ESXi600-201703403-SG (6.0 U2), ESXi600-201703402-SG (6.0 U1), ESXi550-201703401-SG (5.5), Workstation/Fusion 12.5.5 and 8.5.6 respectively. On ESXi 5.5, only DoS mitigation is achievable.

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:>= 8.0.0, < 8.5.6
Fusion ProApplication
Affected:>= 8.0.0, < 8.5.6
Workstation PlayerApplication
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.5.5
Workstation ProApplication
Affected:>= 12.0.0, < 12.5.5
EsxiOperating system
Affected:= 5.5= 6.0= 6.5

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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the installed VMware product
    On Windows: Check Programs and Features or the VMware application (Help > About). On Linux: Check /usr/bin/vmware* or use vmrun -v. On ESXi: Use esxcli system version get or check the host client.
    Affected if The product is one of: Fusion, Fusion Pro, Workstation Player, Workstation Pro, or ESXi.
  2. Check the exact version number
    For Fusion/Workstation: Run the application and go to Help > About, or use vmware -v from command line. For ESXi: Run esxcli system version get or check the vSphere Client inventory summary.
    Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: Fusion/Pro 8.0.0 to 8.5.5, Workstation 12.0.0 to 12.5.4, or ESXi versions 5.5, 6.0, or 6.5 (any build).
  3. Verify if XHCI USB controller is attached to any VM
    Open VM settings in the VMware interface and check the USB Controller configuration. Look for controller type XHCI (USB 3.0). Alternatively, examine the VMX file for the line 'usb_xhci.present = "TRUE"'.
    Affected if The VM has an XHCI (USB 3.0) controller present and attached.
  4. Check for active USB 3.0 devices in use
    In the VM, check Device Manager (Windows) or lsusb (Linux) for USB 3.0 devices. In the VMware host, right-click the VM > Removable Devices to see connected USB devices.
    Affected if Any USB 3.0 device is connected to a guest VM running on this host.
  5. For ESXi hosts, identify the specific build
    Use esxcli system version get to see the full build number. Compare against the affected versions: ESXi 5.5 (any build), ESXi 6.0 (any build), ESXi 6.5 (any build).
    Affected if The ESXi host is running version 5.5, 6.0, or 6.5 with XHCI-enabled VMs.

You are affected if you run any vulnerable VMware product version AND have XHCI (USB 3.0) controllers attached to your VMs, allowing a malicious guest to potentially escape to the host.

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 8.5.6 / 12.5.5 or later
Fixed in 8.5.612.5.5
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patches: ESXi650-201703410-SG (6.5), ESXi600-201703401-SG (6.0 U3), ESXi600-201703403-SG (6.0 U2), ESXi600-201703402-SG (6.0 U1), ESXi550-201703401-SG (5.5), Workstation/Fusion 12.5.5 and 8.5.6 respectively. On ESXi 5.5, only DoS mitigation is achievable.

Fix this in Fusion Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2017-4904 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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