# CVE-2018-6964: Privilege escalation in Horizon Client for Linux

> Unprivileged users can escalate privileges to root on Linux systems via insecure SUID binary usage in VMware Horizon Client.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 29 May 2018
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w5gh-72fc-wfgf

## What is CVE-2018-6964?

CVE-2018-6964 is a high-severity vulnerability in VMware Horizon Client for Linux, published on 29 May 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Horizon Client for Linux (4.x before 4.8.0 and prior) contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability due to insecure usage of SUID binary. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow unprivileged users to escalate their privileges to root on a Linux machine where Horizon Client is installed.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-6964?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Horizon Client.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-6964?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-6964 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-6964 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-6964 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in VMware Horizon Client for Linux

- [CVE-2020-3961](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3961/): Privilege escalation in VMware Horizon Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2019-5543](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5543/): Privilege escalation in VMware Horizon Client for Windows (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-3991](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3991/): Path traversal in VMware Horizon Client for Windows (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2021-21987](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21987/): Information disclosure in VMware Workstation Pro / Player (Workstation), VMware Horizon Client for Windows (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-21988](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21988/): Information disclosure in VMware Workstation Pro / Player (Workstation), VMware Horizon Client for Windows (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-6964 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-6964 is a high-severity vulnerability in VMware Horizon Client for Linux, published on 29 May 2018. 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-2018-6964 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: VMware Horizon Client for Linux. 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-2018-6964/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6964/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-6964
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-6964
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-6964

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6964/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.