Full Report
Broadcom VMware security advisory (AV26-469)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: VMware Fusion Privilege Escalation
## CVE Details
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2026-41702
- **CVSS Score:** Not explicitly listed in source; typically High for local privilege escalation (LPE).
- **CWE:** CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) / Local Privilege Escalation.
## Affected Systems
- **Products:** VMware Fusion
- **Versions:** All versions prior to **26H1**
- **Configurations:** Systems running VMware Fusion on macOS where a local user has standard access.
## Vulnerability Description
CVE-2026-41702 describes a privilege escalation vulnerability within VMware Fusion. The flaw exists in the way the application manages privileges or interacts with the underlying host operating system. A local attacker with standard user privileges can exploit this vulnerability to execute code with elevated (root) privileges on the macOS host.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Not specified as "exploited in the wild" in the advisory; likely discovered via internal research or private disclosure.
- **Complexity:** Low to Medium.
- **Attack Vector:** Local (The attacker must have existing access to the machine).
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Full access to host files).
- **Integrity:** High (Ability to modify system configurations and install malware).
- **Availability:** High (Ability to crash the system or delete critical files).
## Remediation
### Patches
Broadcom has released the following version to address this vulnerability:
- **VMware Fusion 26H1** (or later)
Users are advised to upgrade to this version immediately through the Broadcom Support Portal or the in-app update mechanism.
### Workarounds
- There are no officially supported workarounds that mitigate this vulnerability while maintaining full application functionality. Access to the host system should be restricted to trusted users only until the patch is applied.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Unusual root-level processes spawned by VMware Fusion binaries. Unauthorized changes to system files or account permissions.
- **Detection methods and tools:** Monitor system logs for elevated execution requests (sudo/root) originating from the VMware Fusion application path.
## References
- VMSA-2026-0003: hXXps[://]support[.]broadcom[.]com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/37454
- Broadcom Security Advisories: hXXps[://]support[.]broadcom[.]com/web/ecx/security-advisory?segment=VC
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (AV26-469): hXXps[://]www[.]cyber[.]gc[.]ca/en/alerts-advisories/broadcom-vmware-security-advisory-av26-469