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Parallels DesktopApplication · Parallels

CVE-2022-34892

HIGH · 7.8 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 →
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
This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Parallels Desktop Parallels Desktop 17.1.1. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the update machanism. The issue results from the lack of proper locking when performing operations on an object. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-16396.

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 · moderate confidence

A race condition (TOCTOU) vulnerability in Parallels Desktop 17.1.1's update mechanism allows local attackers with low-privileged code execution to escalate to root. The flaw stems from improper locking when performing operations on an update-related object, enabling arbitrary code execution in the root context.

MitigationUpdate to the patched version of Parallels Desktop when available. Until then, restrict local user access and monitor for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts.

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

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 Parallels Desktop version
    Use system commands to query the installed Parallels Desktop version (e.g., via 'prlctl --version', About dialog, or system profiler)
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 17.1.1
  2. Verify update mechanism is configured
    Check if the Parallels Desktop update feature is enabled in the application preferences or configuration
    Affected if The update mechanism is accessible or configured on the system
  3. Confirm low-privileged user access exists
    Review system logs and user account configurations to determine if non-root users have code execution capability on the host
    Affected if Low-privileged local users can execute code on the affected system

A system is affected if it runs Parallels Desktop version 17.1.1 and has the update mechanism enabled with accessible low-privileged user accounts.

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

Update to the patched version of Parallels Desktop when available. Until then, restrict local user access and monitor for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17.1.2 or later (17.1.x series), or upgrade to the latest available version (18.x or 19.x)

  1. 1. Open Parallels Desktop on the target macOS system
  2. 2. From the menu bar, select Parallels Desktop > Check for Updates
  3. 3. If an update is available, download and install the latest version of Parallels Desktop 17.x or upgrade to version 18.x/19.x
  4. 4. Alternatively, download the latest Parallels Desktop installer from the official website: www.parallels.com/products/desktop/download/
  5. 5. After installation, restart the system to ensure the update components are fully applied
  6. 6. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release
Caveat Newer Parallels Desktop versions may require macOS updates; verify macOS compatibility before upgrading

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

Fix this in Parallels Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2022-34892 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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