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Horizon ViewApplication · VMware

CVE-2017-4908

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-06-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
VMware Workstation (12.x prior to 12.5.3) and Horizon View Client (4.x prior to 4.4.0) contain multiple heap buffer-overflow vulnerabilities in JPEG2000 parser in the TPView.dll. On Workstation, this may allow a guest to execute code or perform a Denial of Service on the Windows OS that runs Workstation. In the case of a Horizon View Client, this may allow a View desktop to execute code or perform a Denial of Service on the Windows OS that runs the Horizon View Client. Exploitation is only possible if virtual printing has been enabled. This feature is not enabled by default on Workstation but it is enabled by default on Horizon View.

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

Heap buffer overflow vulnerabilities in the JPEG2000 parser within TPView.dll affect VMware Workstation (12.x prior to 12.5.3) and Horizon View Client (4.x prior to 4.4.0). Exploitation allows a guest VM or View desktop to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service on the host Windows OS, but only when virtual printing is enabled.

MitigationDisable virtual printing if not needed, or update to VMware Workstation 12.5.3+ and Horizon View Client 4.4.0+ which contain the patched JPEG2000 parser.

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
Horizon ViewApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1= 4.2= 4.3
WorkstationApplication
Affected:= 12.0= 12.0.1= 12.1= 12.1.1= 12.5= 12.5.1= 12.5.2

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

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/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. Determine VMware product installed
    Check if VMware Workstation or Horizon View Client is installed by reviewing installed programs in Control Panel > Programs and Features, or check for vmware.exe (Workstation) or vmware-view.exe (Horizon View Client) in typical installation paths like C:\Program Files\VMware\
    Affected if Either VMware Workstation or VMware Horizon View Client is present on the system
  2. Check VMware Workstation version
    Open VMware Workstation, then go to Help > About VMware Workstation to view the exact version number. Alternatively, check the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\InstallPath or examine the version info of the vmware.exe file.
    Affected if Version is 12.0, 12.0.1, 12.1, 12.1.1, 12.5, 12.5.1, or 12.5.2 (versions prior to 12.5.3)
  3. Check VMware Horizon View Client version
    Open Horizon View Client, then go to Help > About to view the version. Alternatively, check the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Horizon View Client\InstallPath or examine the version info of the vmware-view.exe file.
    Affected if Version is 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, or 4.3 (versions prior to 4.4.0)
  4. Verify virtual printing status in VMware Workstation
    Open VMware Workstation, go to Edit > Preferences > Workspace, and locate the virtual printing settings. Alternatively, check the vmware.conf file in the application data folder for the 'vprint' or 'virtualPrinter' setting.
    Affected if Virtual printing is enabled (the vulnerability only affects systems with virtual printing turned on)
  5. Verify virtual printing status in Horizon View Client
    Open Horizon View Client settings or preferences panel and look for printer redirection or virtual printing options. Check the Horizon View Client configuration files for enableVirtualPrinters or similar settings.
    Affected if Virtual printing or printer redirection is enabled

The system is affected if either VMware Workstation (versions 12.0 through 12.5.2) or VMware Horizon View Client (versions 4.0 through 4.3) is installed AND virtual printing is currently enabled.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Disable virtual printing if not needed, or update to VMware Workstation 12.5.3+ and Horizon View Client 4.4.0+ which contain the patched JPEG2000 parser.

Fix this in Horizon View Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2017-4908 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
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data