CVE-2020-3972: 
VMware Tools vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2020-3972 is a denial-of-service vulnerability discovered in VMware Tools for macOS (versions 11.x.x and prior before 11.1.1) affecting the Host-Guest File System (HGFS) implementation. The vulnerability was privately reported to VMware and addressed through an update released on June 18, 2020 (VMware Advisory).

The vulnerability exists in the Host-Guest File System (HGFS) implementation of VMware Tools for macOS. VMware has assigned this vulnerability a CVSSv3 base score of 3.3 (Low severity). The vulnerability requires specific conditions to be exploitable: both guest and host operating systems must be macOS, and shared folders (HGFS) must be enabled with at least one file selected from the host system to be shared (VMware Advisory).

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows attackers with non-admin privileges on guest macOS virtual machines to create a denial-of-service condition on their own VMs. However, the impact is limited as no folders are shared by default in any version of VMware products, making the vulnerability not exploitable by default (VMware Advisory).

The vulnerability requires specific conditions to be exploited: the attacker must have non-admin privileges on a guest macOS virtual machine, both guest and host systems must be running macOS, and shared folders must be explicitly enabled with at least one file shared. These requirements significantly limit the exploitability of the vulnerability (VMware Advisory).

VMware has released version 11.1.1 of VMware Tools for macOS to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to apply the patches listed in the Fixed Version column of the Response Matrix. No workarounds are available for this vulnerability (VMware Advisory).

The vulnerability was discovered and reported by Jimi Sebree of Tenable Research, demonstrating ongoing security research in virtualization technologies (VMware Advisory).