# CVE-2010-4297: Command injection in n/a

> Local users can exploit a command injection flaw in VMware Tools to gain elevated privileges on the guest operating system.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Dec 2010
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vrqj-4f32-p884

## What is CVE-2010-4297?

CVE-2010-4297 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Vmware Esx, published on 6 Dec 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The VMware Tools update functionality in VMware Workstation 6.5.x before 6.5.5 build 328052 and 7.x before 7.1.2 build 301548; VMware Player 2.5.x before 2.5.5 build 328052 and 3.1.x before 3.1.2 build 301548; VMware Server 2.0.2; VMware Fusion 2.x before 2.0.8 build 328035 and 3.1.x before 3.1.2 build 332101; VMware ESXi 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1; and VMware ESX 3.0.3, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1 allows host OS users to gain privileges on the guest OS via unspecified vectors, related to a "command injection" issue.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-4297?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Vmware Esx, Vmware Esxi, Vmware Fusion, Vmware Player, Vmware Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-4297?

No fix has been published for CVE-2010-4297 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2010-4297 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-4297 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- VMware Tools - Update OS Command Injection (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Esx

- [CVE-2013-1405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1405/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-1516](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-1516/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2013-3658](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3658/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2012-3288](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3288/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-4281](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4281/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-4297 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-4297 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Vmware Esx, published on 6 Dec 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-4297 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vmware Esx. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4297/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4297/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-4297
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4297
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-4297

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4297/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.