UNKNOWN CVSS 3.3
Published: 2011-04-10

CVE-2011-1681

vmware open-vm-tools Security Advisory (CVE-2011-1681)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2011-1681 impacting vmware open-vm-tools. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 3.3 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
vmware-hgfsmounter in VMware Open Virtual Machine Tools (aka open-vm-tools) 8.4.2-261024 and earlier attempts to append to the /etc/mtab file without first checking whether resource limits would interfere, which allows local users to trigger corruption of this file via a process with a small RLIMIT_FSIZE value, a related issue to CVE-2011-1089.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product vmware / open-vm-tools
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-16

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2011-1681 impacting vmware open-vm-tools.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2011-1681.yaml
id: cve-2011-1681

info:
  name: vmware open-vm-tools - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2011-1681 affecting vmware open-vm-tools.
    Evaluation: vmware-hgfsmounter in VMware Open Virtual Machine Tools (aka open-vm-tools) 8.4.2-261024 and earlier attempts to append to the /etc/mtab file without ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2011-1681
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N
    cvss-score: 3.3
    cve-id: CVE-2011-1681
    cwe-id: CWE-16
  tags: cve,cve-2011-1681,vmware,open-vm-tools,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "open-vm-tools"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2011-1681.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2011-1681
# Target: vmware open-vm-tools | CVSS: 3.3 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2011-1681 (vmware open-vm-tools)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against vmware open-vm-tools scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2011-1681.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2011-1681
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install open-vm-tools 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade open-vm-tools 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update open-vm-tools

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i open-vm-tools 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i open-vm-tools

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2011-1681 in vmware open-vm-tools?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update vmware open-vm-tools packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2011-1681?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2011-1681?

CVE-2011-1681 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 3.3 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
3.3
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2011-1681
Weakness CWE-16
Vendor vmware
Product open-vm-tools
Published 2011-04-10
Vector AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N