# CVE-2017-4916: Null dereference in Workstation Pro/Player

> A NULL pointer dereference in the vstor2 driver allows local users to cause a denial-of-service on the Windows host.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 May 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mq2h-65qj-q6wr

## What is CVE-2017-4916?

CVE-2017-4916 is a medium-severity vulnerability in VMware Workstation Pro/Player, published on 22 May 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Workstation Pro/Player contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that exists in the vstor2 driver. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow host users with normal user privileges to trigger a denial-of-service in a Windows host machine.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-4916?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Vmware Workstation Player, Vmware Workstation Pro.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-4916?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-4916 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-4916 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2017-4916 exists.

Public exploit code:

- VMware Workstation 12 Pro - Denial of Service (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in VMware Workstation Pro/Player

- [CVE-2017-4898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4898/): Privilege escalation in Workstation Pro/Player (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-4915](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4915/): Privilege escalation in Workstation Pro/Player (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-7081](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7081/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-7082](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7082/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2016-7083](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7083/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-4916 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-4916 is a medium-severity vulnerability in VMware Workstation Pro/Player, published on 22 May 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2017-4916 exists.

Affected product: VMware Workstation Pro/Player. 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-2017-4916/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4916/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-4916
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-4916
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-4916

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4916/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.