FusionApplication · VMware

CVE-2023-20869

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-25

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.0.2 / 17.0.2 or later.

See remediation →

84/100

Remediation priority · High

Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

VMware Workstation (17.x) and VMware Fusion (13.x) contain a stack-based buffer-overflow vulnerability that exists in the functionality for sharing host Bluetooth devices with the virtual machine.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

VMware Workstation (17.x) and Fusion (13.x) contain a stack-based buffer-overflow vulnerability in the functionality for sharing host Bluetooth devices with the guest virtual machine. An attacker could potentially exploit this to overwrite stack memory and achieve code execution.

MitigationApply the vendor patch when available. As a workaround, disable the Bluetooth device sharing feature in VMware settings until the patch 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

NVD · CPE data

FusionApplication

Affected:>= 13.0.0, < 13.0.2

WorkstationApplication

Affected:>= 17.0.0, < 17.0.2

CVSS breakdown

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?

dbcve checks

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

Identify the installed VMware product

Check for vmware-vmx or related processes, or look for VMware installation directory (typically /Applications/VMware Fusion.app on macOS or C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation on Windows)

Affected if Product is VMware Fusion or VMware Workstation
Determine the installed version

Run 'vmware -v' or 'vmware --version' from the VMware installation directory, or check the application's About dialog

Affected if Version is >= 17.0.0 and < 17.0.2 for Workstation, or >= 13.0.0 and < 13.0.2 for Fusion
Verify Bluetooth device sharing is enabled

In VMware Workstation: Edit > Preferences > Devices > check if Bluetooth device sharing is enabled. In VMware Fusion: VMware Fusion > Settings > Devices > check if Bluetooth is connected/shared with the guest

Affected if Bluetooth device sharing feature is turned on in VMware settings
Confirm the vmware-vmx process is running with Bluetooth support

Check running processes for vmware-vmx and verify the guest VM configuration includes USB controller with Bluetooth support enabled in the .vmx configuration file

Affected if A virtual machine is running with USB/Bluetooth passthrough active

User is affected if they have VMware Workstation 17.0.0-17.0.1 or Fusion 13.0.0-13.0.1 installed AND have the Bluetooth device sharing feature enabled for a guest virtual machine

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.0.2 / 17.0.2 or later

Fixed in 13.0.217.0.2

Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch when available. As a workaround, disable the Bluetooth device sharing feature in VMware settings until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

VMware Workstation 17.0.2 and VMware Fusion 13.0.2 or later

1. Ensure all virtual machines are powered off before updating VMware Workstation or Fusion.
2. Download VMware Workstation 17.0.2 or later from the official VMware website (www.vmware.com).
3. If using VMware Fusion, download version 13.0.2 or later from the official VMware website.
4. Run the installer for the downloaded version and follow the on-screen installation wizard.
5. Accept the license agreement and complete the installation.
6. Restart the host system after installation completes.
7. Verify the installed version by checking About VMware Workstation/Fusion in the application menu.

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

Fix this in Fusion Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing3.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

9.0 hours of engineering $1,570

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

www.vmware.comVendor Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-20869 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2023-20869?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 13.0.2 / 17.0.2 or later

Severity 8.2 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 2.0%

Affects: Fusion

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Fusion 9 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $1,570

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2023-20869 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References