# CVE-2023-34059: Privilege escalation in open-vm-tools

> A local attacker can hijack a file descriptor to simulate user inputs, potentially leading to privilege escalation or code execution.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 6 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** AZL-31733, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-34059, GHSA-q6p8-m5f4-4vmp, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-34059

## What is CVE-2023-34059?

CVE-2023-34059 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 27 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

open-vm-tools contains a file descriptor hijack vulnerability in the vmware-user-suid-wrapper. A malicious actor with non-root privileges may be able to hijack the 
/dev/uinput file descriptor allowing them to simulate user inputs.

Weakness: CWE-404 (Improper Resource Shutdown or Release)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-34059?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Vmware Open Vm Tools.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-34059?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-34059 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-34059 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-34059 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-34059 is a high-severity vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 27 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-34059 exists.

Affected product: Debian Debian 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-2023-34059/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34059/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-34059
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34059
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-34059

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34059/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.