CVE-2024-54189: Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in Parallels Desktop for Mac Snapshot Functionality

Overview

The newly discovered vulnerability CVE-2024-54189 exposes a significant risk for users of Parallels Desktop for Mac version 20.1.1 (build 55740). This vulnerability lies within the Snapshot functionality of the software and has the potential to allow an attacker to escalate privileges, potentially leading to a full system compromise or data leakage. This risk is particularly pertinent for corporate environments relying on the virtualization capabilities of Parallels Desktop for Mac, as it could potentially provide an attacker with access to critical systems or sensitive data.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-54189
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Parallels Desktop for Mac | version 20.1.1 (build 55740)

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Snapshot functionality of Parallels Desktop for Mac. When a snapshot of a virtual machine is taken, a root service writes to a file owned by a regular user. An attacker, by creating a hard link to an arbitrary file, can trick the root service into writing to this other file, leading to potential privilege escalation. This means any user with low-level access could potentially gain high-level or root access to the system.

Conceptual Example Code

The following pseudocode demonstrates how the exploit could potentially be implemented:

# Create a hard link to a file you want to overwrite
ln /path/to/important/file /path/to/your/controlled/file
# Trigger the snapshot functionality
parallels --take-snapshot VM_ID
# The root service will now write to your controlled file, overwriting the important file

Please note that this is a conceptual example and may not work verbatim. The actual exploit would depend on various other factors, including the system’s configuration and the attacker’s privileges.

Mitigation Guidance

Users are strongly advised to apply the vendor-supplied patch to address this vulnerability. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation strategy. Regular monitoring and logging of system activity can also help in early detection and prevention of potential exploits.