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Horizon ViewApplication · VMware

CVE-2017-4911

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 out-of-bounds write 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

Multiple out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities exist in the JPEG2000 image parser within TPView.dll, the virtual printing component of VMware Workstation and Horizon View Client. Attackers can exploit these by sending specially crafted JPEG2000 images that, when processed by the virtual printing feature, trigger buffer overflows allowing code execution or denial of service on the host operating system.

MitigationApply vendor patches (VMware Workstation 12.5.3 or later, Horizon View Client 4.4.0 or later). If patching is not immediately feasible, disable virtual printing as a compensating control until patches can be applied.

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. Identify installed VMware product and version
    On Windows: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate VMware Workstation or Horizon View Client and note the version. On Linux: Check /usr/bin/vmware-installer or run 'vmware -v' for Workstation. For Horizon View Client, check /opt/vmware/viewclient or the application's About section.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of the following: VMware Workstation 12.0, 12.0.1, 12.1, 12.1.1, 12.5, 12.5.1, 12.5.2 or VMware Horizon View Client 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, or 4.3
  2. Locate TPView.dll to confirm virtual printing component
    Search for TPView.dll in the VMware installation directory. Typical paths: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\TPView.dll or C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware View\Client\TPView.dll. Use File Explorer search or command: dir /s C:\TPView.dll
    Affected if TPView.dll exists in the VMware installation directory, confirming the virtual printing component is installed
  3. Check if virtual printing is enabled
    For VMware Workstation: Go to Edit > Preferences > Printer, or check the virtual printer settings in the VM. For Horizon View Client: Check View Client settings or policy configurations. Verify if a virtual printer is listed as connected to any virtual machine.
    Affected if Virtual printing is enabled and a virtual printer is available or connected to any virtual machine, creating the attack surface for CVE-2017-4911
  4. Verify JPEG2000 image processing capability
    The vulnerability triggers when a JPEG2000 image is processed through the virtual printing pipeline. Check if the system has applications capable of opening or generating JPEG2000 (.jp2) images, or if any VMs have software that auto-processes images.
    Affected if Users or processes can open JPEG2000 images within the virtual machine, which could be processed by the vulnerable TPView.dll virtual printing component

You are affected if VMware Workstation 12.0-12.5.2 or Horizon View Client 4.0-4.3 is installed AND the virtual printing feature (TPView.dll) is enabled, allowing specially crafted JPEG2000 images to trigger the buffer overflow.

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

Apply vendor patches (VMware Workstation 12.5.3 or later, Horizon View Client 4.4.0 or later). If patching is not immediately feasible, disable virtual printing as a compensating control until patches can be applied.

Fix this in Horizon View Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
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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-2017-4911 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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