# CVE-2019-5511: Path traversal in VMware Workstation

> A path handling flaw in VMware Workstation on Windows allows non-administrators to hijack the VMX executable path, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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:** 9 Apr 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8g5g-pp3h-rchw

## What is CVE-2019-5511?

CVE-2019-5511 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Vmware Workstation, published on 9 Apr 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware Workstation (15.x before 15.0.3, 14.x before 14.1.6) running on Windows does not handle paths appropriately. Successful exploitation of this issue may allow the path to the VMX executable, on a Windows host, to be hijacked by a non-administrator leading to elevation of privilege.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5511?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-5511?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-5511 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-5511 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-5511 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Workstation

- [CVE-2019-5525](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5525/): Use after free in VMware Workstation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-5512](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5512/): Privilege escalation in VMware Workstation (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-20854](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20854/): Path traversal in VMware Workstation (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2019-5526](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5526/): Privilege escalation in VMware Workstation (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2017-4939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-4939/): Other in Workstation (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-5511 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-5511 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Vmware Workstation, published on 9 Apr 2019. 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-2019-5511 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vmware Workstation. 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-2019-5511/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5511/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-5511
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5511
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-5511

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5511/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.