MEDIUM CVSS 6.7
Published: 2017-07-28

CVE-2015-5191

vmware tools Security Advisory (CVE-2015-5191)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2015-5191 impacting vmware tools. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
VMware Tools prior to 10.0.9 contains multiple file system races in libDeployPkg, related to the use of hard-coded paths under /tmp. Successful exploitation of this issue may result in a local privilege escalation. CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product vmware / tools
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-362

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-2015-5191 impacting vmware tools.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2015-5191.yaml
id: cve-2015-5191

info:
  name: vmware tools - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2015-5191 affecting vmware tools.
    Evaluation: VMware Tools prior to 10.0.9 contains multiple file system races in libDeployPkg, related to the use of hard-coded paths under /tmp. Successful exploi...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2015-5191
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 6.7
    cve-id: CVE-2015-5191
    cwe-id: CWE-362
  tags: cve,cve-2015-5191,vmware,tools,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "tools"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2015-5191.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2015-5191
# Target: vmware tools | CVSS: 6.7 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2015-5191 (vmware 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 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-2015-5191.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2015-5191
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install tools 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade tools 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update tools

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i tools 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i 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-2015-5191 in vmware tools?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update vmware 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-2015-5191?

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-2015-5191?

CVE-2015-5191 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.7 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.7
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2015-5191
Weakness CWE-362
Vendor vmware
Product tools
Published 2017-07-28
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H