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Cloud FoundationApplication · VMware

CVE-2024-22273

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.1.1 / 13.5.1 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
The storage controllers on VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion have out-of-bounds read/write vulnerability. A malicious actor with access to a virtual machine with storage controllers enabled may exploit this issue to create a denial of service condition or execute code on the hypervisor from a virtual machine in conjunction with other issues.

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

The storage controllers in VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain an out-of-bounds read/write vulnerability. An attacker with access to a virtual machine that has storage controllers enabled can exploit this flaw to potentially cause a denial of service condition or, when chained with other vulnerabilities, execute code on the underlying hypervisor.

MitigationApply the official VMware security patches for CVE-2024-22273 to all affected ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion installations. Until patched, restrict access to virtual machines with storage controllers to trusted users only and follow least-privilege principles.

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
Cloud FoundationApplication
Affected:>= 4.0, < 5.1.1
WorkstationApplication
Affected:>= 17.0.0, < 17.5.1
EsxiOperating system
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0
FusionApplication
Affected:>= 13.0.0, < 13.5.1

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 the VMware product type
    Determine whether the system runs VMware ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, or Cloud Foundation. On ESXi, run 'vmware -l' or check the vSphere Client login screen. On Workstation or Fusion, check the application name in the title bar or Help > About.
    Affected if The product is ESXi 7.0, ESXi 8.0, Workstation 17.0.0-17.5.0, Fusion 13.0.0-13.5.0, or Cloud Foundation 4.0-5.1.0.
  2. Check the installed version number
    For ESXi, run 'esxcli system version get' or view the DCUI boot screen. For Workstation, run 'vmware -v' from command line or open Help > About VMware Workstation. For Fusion, open VMware Fusion > About VMware Fusion. Compare the exact version to the affected ranges.
    Affected if The version falls within: ESXi 7.0, ESXi 8.0, Workstation 17.0.0 through 17.5.0, Fusion 13.0.0 through 13.5.0, or Cloud Foundation 4.0.0 through 5.1.0.
  3. Confirm storage controllers exist on any VMs
    Review VM configuration files (.vmx for Workstation/Fusion, .vmx or via vSphere for ESXi) for scsi or sata controller entries. In vSphere Client, select a VM > VM Hardware > check for SCSI or SATA controllers. In Workstation/Fusion, right-click VM > Settings > check SCSI or SATA controllers are present.
    Affected if Any virtual machine has a storage controller (SCSI or SATA) configured, which is the default for nearly all VMs.
  4. Verify network access to VM console
    Determine if untrusted users or networks have access to the VM remote console or console files. Check VM network permissions, firewall rules, and whether the VM console is exposed to the internet or untrusted LAN segments.
    Affected if The VM console or configuration is accessible to users without hypervisor administrative privileges.

A system is affected if it runs an unpatched VMware product in the listed version range AND hosts at least one virtual machine with a storage controller, combined with access granted to untrusted users.

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 5.1.1 / 13.5.1 / 17.5.1 or later
Fixed in 5.1.113.5.117.5.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the official VMware security patches for CVE-2024-22273 to all affected ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion installations. Until patched, restrict access to virtual machines with storage controllers to trusted users only and follow least-privilege principles.

Recommended fix High confidence

Workstation: 17.5.1 | Fusion: 13.5.1 | Cloud Foundation: 5.1.1 | ESXi: Apply latest security patches for 7.0/8.0

  1. 1. Identify the affected VMware product in your environment (ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, or Cloud Foundation)
  2. 2. For VMware ESXi: Check available patches at support.broadcom.com and apply the latest security patches for version 7.0 or 8.0
  3. 3. For VMware Workstation: Upgrade to version 17.5.1 or later
  4. 4. For VMware Fusion: Upgrade to version 13.5.1 or later
  5. 5. For VMware Cloud Foundation: Upgrade to version 5.1.1 or later
  6. 6. After upgrading, verify the installation by checking the product version
  7. 7. Test that virtual machines with storage controllers function normally post-upgrade
Caveat Upgrading ESXi may require VM shutdowns and may have compatibility considerations with existing virtual machines; review VMware compatibility guides before upgrading

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

Fix this in Cloud Foundation Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2024-22273 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