CVE-2017-4941

VMware ESXi (6.0 before ESXi600-201711101-SG, 5.5 ESXi550-201709101-SG), Workstation (12.x before 12.5.8), and Fusion (8.x before 8.5.9) contain a vulnerability that could allow an authenticated VNC session to cause a stack overflow via a specific set of VNC packets. Successful exploitation of this issue could result in remote code execution in a virtual machine via the authenticated VNC session. Note: In order for exploitation to be possible in ESXi, VNC must be manually enabled in a virtual machine's .vmx configuration file. In addition, ESXi must be configured to allow VNC traffic through the built-in firewall.

Published: 2017-12-20 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2017-4941 is rated Moderate Risk (63.8/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 3.16%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2017-4941

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 4.78% 3.16% -1.62%
2 2025-07-06 5.02% 4.78% -0.24%
3 2025-03-30 — 5.02% —

Full EPSS history (15 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2017-4941

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 5.9 [email protected]
6.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:S)
A single authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 6.8 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2017-4941

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2017-4941

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
vmware fusion >= 8.0.0, < 8.5.9 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:fusion:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware workstation >= 12.0.0, < 12.5.8 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:workstation:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:550-20170901001s:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 5.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:5.5:550-20170904001:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:1b:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:2:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:3a:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201504401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201505401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507406:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201507407:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201509210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201510401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201511401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201601405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201602401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201603208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201605401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608404:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201608405:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201610410:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611401:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611402:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201611403:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702101:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702102:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702201:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702202:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702203:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702204:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702205:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702206:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702207:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702208:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702209:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702210:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702211:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esxi 6.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:6.0:600-201702212:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2017-4941

URL Tags
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040024 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1040025 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2017-0021.html Issue Tracking Patch Vendor Advisory
cvelogic Threat Intelligence