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ToolsApplication · VMware

CVE-2022-22943

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-03-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 12.0.0 or later.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Tools for Windows (11.x.y and 10.x.y prior to 12.0.0) contains an uncontrolled search path vulnerability. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges in the Windows guest OS, where VMware Tools is installed, may be able to execute code with system privileges in the Windows guest OS due to an uncontrolled search path element.

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

VMware Tools for Windows (versions 10.x.y prior to 12.0.0 and 11.x.y) contains an uncontrolled search path vulnerability. A local attacker with administrative privileges in the guest Windows OS can execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges by exploiting an uncontrolled search path element in VMware Tools.

MitigationUpgrade VMware Tools to version 12.0.0 or later to remediate this uncontrolled search path vulnerability.

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
Affected:>= 10.0.0, < 12.0.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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. Confirm VMware Tools is installed on Windows
    Check the system for VMware Tools installation. This can be done by opening Control Panel, selecting Programs and Features, and looking for 'VMware Tools' in the list of installed programs, or by checking for VMware-related services in Task Manager.
    Affected if VMware Tools is not listed as an installed program on the Windows system
  2. Determine the installed VMware Tools version
    In Programs and Features, locate the VMware Tools entry and note the exact version number displayed (format is typically 10.x.y or 11.x.y). Record this version for comparison.
    Affected if Unable to retrieve the version number from Programs and Features
  3. Compare version against affected range
    Compare the installed version number to the affected range: versions 10.x.y and 11.x.y where the version is greater than or equal to 10.0.0 and less than 12.0.0.
    Affected if The installed version is 10.0.0 or any 10.x.y or 11.x.y version below 12.0.0

The environment is affected if VMware Tools for Windows is installed with any version from 10.0.0 up to but not including 12.0.0

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 12.0.0 or later
Fixed in 12.0.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade VMware Tools to version 12.0.0 or later to remediate this uncontrolled search path vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

VMware Tools 12.0.0 or later

  1. Identify the current VMware Tools version installed on the Windows guest OS by checking Programs and Features or running 'vmware-toolbox-cmd -v'
  2. Download VMware Tools 12.0.0 or later from the official VMware website (www.vmware.com) or from the VMware ESXi/Workstation host
  3. On the VMware ESXi/Workstation host, right-click the虚拟机 and select 'Install VMware Tools' or use the menu option
  4. In the Windows guest OS, when the VMware Tools installer auto-runs or after manually executing the installer from the virtual CD drive, follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade
  5. Restart the Windows guest OS when prompted to complete the installation
  6. Verify the new VMware Tools version is 12.0.0 or later using 'vmware-toolbox-cmd -v' or checking Programs and Features

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Tools Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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-2022-22943 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