# CVE-2019-5525: Use after free in VMware Workstation

> A use-after-free in the ALSA backend allows guest users to execute code on the Linux host, requiring an upgrade to VMware Workstation.

- **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:** 6 Jun 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-r6q4-gxv3-v7q7

## What is CVE-2019-5525?

CVE-2019-5525 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Vmware Workstation, published on 6 Jun 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 15.1.0) contains a use-after-free vulnerability in the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) backend. A malicious user with normal user privileges on the guest machine may exploit this issue in conjunction with other issues to execute code on the Linux host where Workstation is installed.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-5525?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Vmware Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-5525?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-5525 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-5525 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-5525 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Workstation

- [CVE-2019-5511](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5511/): Path traversal 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-2019-5525 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-5525 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Vmware Workstation, published on 6 Jun 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-2019-5525 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-2019-5525/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5525/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-5525
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-5525
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-5525

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5525/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.