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Parallels DesktopApplication · Parallels

CVE-2024-6153

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-06-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 18.1.0 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
Parallels Desktop Updater Protection Mechanism Failure Software Downgrade Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to downgrade Parallels software on affected installations of Parallels Desktop. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target host system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the Updater service. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of version information before performing an update. An attacker can leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of root. Was ZDI-CAN-19481.

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

The vulnerability exists in the Parallels Desktop Updater service due to insufficient validation of version information before performing updates. This allows an attacker with low-privileged code execution to force a software downgrade, which can then be chained with other vulnerabilities to escalate privileges to root and execute arbitrary code.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for Parallels Desktop when available. In the interim, restrict code execution privileges and monitor the updater service for suspicious downgrade 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:< 18.1.0

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
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. Confirm Parallels Desktop installation
    Locate the Parallels Desktop application installation (typically in /Applications or by checking system utilities that manage installed software)
    Affected if Parallels Desktop is not found on the system, the user is not affected by this vulnerability in this product
  2. Identify installed Parallels Desktop version
    Use the system's software management tools or check the application info (via About or version display commands) to obtain the exact version number
    Affected if The installed version is below 18.1.0 - this version range is vulnerable to the downgrade attack described in the CVE
  3. Locate the Updater service component
    Examine the Parallels Desktop installation for the updater service executable or daemon component (commonly named prl_updater or similar Parallels update-related binary)
    Affected if The updater service executable is present and executable by the user account, enabling the attack vector for forced downgrades
  4. Check service configuration and permissions
    Review the updater service configuration files and service permissions to determine if low-privileged users can interact with or trigger the update mechanism
    Affected if Low-privileged users have write or execution access to the updater service configuration, allowing them to trigger the downgrade attack chain

The environment is affected if Parallels Desktop is installed with a version lower than 18.1.0 and the updater service component is accessible to the user account being assessed.

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 18.1.0 or later
Fixed in 18.1.0
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch for Parallels Desktop when available. In the interim, restrict code execution privileges and monitor the updater service for suspicious downgrade attempts.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Parallels Desktop 18.1.0 or later

  1. Open Parallels Desktop on the affected system
  2. Go to the Parallels Desktop menu and select 'Check for Updates'
  3. Alternatively, navigate to the Parallels website and download Parallels Desktop version 18.1.0 or later
  4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to upgrade
  5. Restart the system if prompted
  6. Verify the installed version by going to Parallels Desktop > About Parallels Desktop

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

Fix this in Parallels Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
Get the upgrade done

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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-2024-6153 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