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Horizon ClientApplication · VMware

CVE-2019-5543

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-03-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.3.0 / 11.0.0 or later.
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
For VMware Horizon Client for Windows (5.x and prior before 5.3.0), VMware Remote Console for Windows (10.x before 11.0.0), VMware Workstation for Windows (15.x before 15.5.2) the folder containing configuration files for the VMware USB arbitration service was found to be writable by all users. A local user on the system where the software is installed may exploit this issue to run commands as any user.

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

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in VMware products for Windows. The folder containing configuration files for the VMware USB arbitration service has insecure permissions (world-writable), allowing any local user to modify these configuration files and execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges.

MitigationUpdate affected VMware products to patched versions (Horizon Client 5.3.0+, Remote Console 11.0.0+, Workstation 15.5.2+). As a workaround, manually restrict write permissions on the vulnerable configuration folder to only privileged users/service accounts.

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 ClientApplication
Affected:>= 5.0.0, < 5.3.0
Remote ConsoleApplication
Affected:>= 10.0.0, < 11.0.0
WorkstationApplication
Affected:>= 15.0.0, < 15.5.2

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

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

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

  1. Identify installed VMware products
    Open Programs and Features or run 'Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product' to list installed VMware software on the Windows system. Look for Horizon Client, Remote Console, or Workstation.
    Affected if Any of the three affected products (Horizon Client, Remote Console, or Workstation) are installed.
  2. Check product version against affected ranges
    Right-click the installed VMware product in Programs and Features, select Properties, and note the version. Alternatively, check the executable file properties. Compare the version to: Horizon Client versions 5.0.0 to below 5.3.0, Remote Console versions 10.0.0 to below 11.0.0, or Workstation versions 15.0.0 to below 15.5.2.
    Affected if The installed version falls within one of the affected ranges.
  3. Locate the USB arbitration service configuration folder
    Search for folders named 'USB' within the VMware installation directory, typically found under Program Files or Program Files (x86). The folder contains configuration files for the VMware USB Arbitration Service.
    Affected if The USB arbitration service configuration folder exists on the system.
  4. Verify folder permissions are world-writable
    Right-click the USB configuration folder, go to Properties, then the Security tab. Click Advanced to view effective permissions. Check if the 'Users' group or 'Everyone' group has Write or Full Control permissions granted.
    Affected if The configuration folder grants Write or Full Control permissions to non-privileged users (Users group or Everyone).

A system is affected if it has an installed VMware product (Horizon Client, Remote Console, or Workstation) within the specified version ranges AND the USB arbitration service configuration folder has overly permissive (world-writable) access rights.

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 5.3.0 / 11.0.0 / 15.5.2 or later
Fixed in 5.3.011.0.015.5.2
Interim mitigation

Update affected VMware products to patched versions (Horizon Client 5.3.0+, Remote Console 11.0.0+, Workstation 15.5.2+). As a workaround, manually restrict write permissions on the vulnerable configuration folder to only privileged users/service accounts.

Fix this in Horizon Client 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

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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-2019-5543 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