# CVE-2017-4918: Command injection in Horizon View Client for Mac

> Unprivileged users can escalate privileges to root on macOS via command injection in the VMware Horizon View Client startup script.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Jun 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qr5w-hhfh-gp9g

## What is CVE-2017-4918?

CVE-2017-4918 is a critical command injection vulnerability in VMware Horizon View Client for Mac, published on 8 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Horizon View Client (2.x, 3.x and 4.x prior to 4.5.0) contains a command injection vulnerability in the service startup script. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow unprivileged users to escalate their privileges to root on the Mac OSX system where the client is installed.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-4918?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Horizon View.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-4918?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-4918 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-4918 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-4918 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in VMware Horizon View Client for Mac

- [CVE-2017-4907](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4907/): Memory corruption in Horizon View (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-4935](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4935/): Memory corruption in Horizon View Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-4936](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4936/): Memory corruption in Horizon View Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-4937](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4937/): Memory corruption in Horizon View Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-4908](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4908/): Memory corruption in Horizon View Client for Windows (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-4918 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-4918 is a critical command injection vulnerability in VMware Horizon View Client for Mac, published on 8 Jun 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-4918 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: VMware Horizon View Client for Mac. 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-2017-4918/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4918/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-4918
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-4918
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-4918

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4918/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.