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Parallels DesktopApplication · Parallels

CVE-2022-34889

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-07-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
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
This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop 17.1.1 (51537). An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute high-privileged code on the target guest system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the ACPI virtual device. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a read past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the hypervisor. Was ZDI-CAN-16554.

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

A buffer overread vulnerability in the ACPI virtual device of Parallels Desktop 17.1.1 allows an attacker with high-privileged code execution on the guest VM to read past the end of an allocated buffer. This can be leveraged to escape the guest and execute arbitrary code in the hypervisor context.

MitigationApply the vendor security update for Parallels Desktop to patch the vulnerable ACPI virtual device component. Since exploitation requires high-privileged code on the guest, ensure guest VM security hygiene and minimize attack surface.

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
Parallels DesktopApplication
Affected:= 17.1.1_\(51537\)

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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. Verify Parallels Desktop is installed
    Check for the Parallels Desktop application in /Applications folder or use system_profiler SPApplicationsDataType to list installed applications
    Affected if Parallels Desktop is not present on the system - this CVE does not apply
  2. Identify installed Parallels Desktop version
    Open Parallels Desktop and go to Parallels Desktop menu > About Parallels Desktop, or use the command line: prlctl --version 2>/dev/null or ls /Applications/ | grep -i parallels
    Affected if Version is 17.1.1 build 51537 (displayed as 17.1.1_(51537)) - this specific version is affected
  3. Confirm ACPI virtual device configuration
    Open Parallels Desktop Configuration > Hardware > ACPI device for any guest VM, or inspect the VM configuration file (.pvm bundle contents) for ACPI device presence
    Affected if ACPI virtual device is enabled in any guest VM configuration and version is 17.1.1_(51537) - exploitation requires this device to be present

A system is affected only if Parallels Desktop version 17.1.1 build 51537 is installed AND ACPI virtual device is enabled for at least one guest VM.

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

Apply the vendor security update for Parallels Desktop to patch the vulnerable ACPI virtual device component. Since exploitation requires high-privileged code on the guest, ensure guest VM security hygiene and minimize attack surface.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Parallels Desktop 17.1.2 or later (17.1.4 recommended for stability)

  1. 1. Ensure you have a backup of your virtual machines before performing any updates.
  2. 2. Open Parallels Desktop on your Mac.
  3. 3. Go to the menu bar and click on 'Parallels Desktop' > 'Check for Updates'.
  4. 4. If an update is available, download and install the latest version of Parallels Desktop.
  5. 5. After installation, restart Parallels Desktop if prompted.
  6. 6. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release version.
Caveat Point updates typically include bug fixes and security patches with minimal risk; ensure guest VMs are powered off before updating

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

Fix this in Parallels Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2022-34889 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