A bug in VMware's Fusion virtualization software could be used to run malicious code on a Mac by exploiting Windows in a virtual machine, a security researcher said Wednesday.
VMware has released Fusion 2.0.4 to plug the hole.
According to Kostya Kortchinsky, an exploit researcher at Immunity Inc., a critical vulnerability in VMware's virtual machine display function can be used to read and write memory on the "host" operating system -- the OS running the physical hardware.
Kortchinsky crafted an exploit for Immunity's customers -- the Miami-based company is best-known for its Canvas penetration testing tool -- and posted a video clip that demonstrates an attack on a machine running Windows Vista SP1 as the host operating system, and Windows XP as the "guest," the OS running in a virtual machine
"This is indeed a guest-to-host exploit," Kortchinsky said in an e-mail today. "It uses several vulnerabilities in the 'Display functions' (as VMware put it) that allow [someone] to read and write arbitrary memory in the host. Thus the guest can run some code on the host, effectively bypassing ASLR and DEP on Vista SP1."
The same tactics can be employed against a guest operating system -- say Windows XP -- running in Fusion on a Mac powered by Apple's Mac OS X, Kortchinsky confirmed. "The vulnerability is also present in VMware Fusion and as such would allow a guest (Windows or Linux) to run code on the Mac OS X host," he said. "We didn't implement this exploit though, but will probably in a near future."
The company has published a white paper discussing the VMware vulnerabilities, as well as working exploits that can compromise Windows or Ubuntu hosts; the paper and exploits, however, are available only to Canvas Early Updates customers.
VMware issued a security advisory last Friday acknowledging the bug, and provided links to new versions of its products that patched the problem. Fusion 2.0.4, a 186MB file, can be downloaded free of charge from VMware's site by current users of the company's Mac virtualization software.
Fusion, and its primary commercial competitor, Parallels Desktop, are used on a large number of Macs by users, most of whom want a virtual environment to run Windows and select applications available only for Microsoft's OS. Sales of Fusion and Parallels were up 50 percent last September over the same month the year before, market research company NPD Group said then.
By Gregg Keizer
source : infoworld
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query VMware. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query VMware. Sort by date Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Boot from a VHD using Windows 7
How to Boot VHD`s using Windows 7
Information
Windows 7 PDC build 6801 includes support for creating, mounting and booting from VHD images but not many seem to know how to use this functionality to boot VHDs at boot time... I will detail the steps required to have another OS bootable using Windows 7...
WARNING
This only works with Vista and Windows 7 VHD images!
If you do not have a good knowledge of how to reset your VirtualOS configuration like HAL type and driver configuration then your VHD will fail to boot, It must be cleaned of VirtualOS configuration correctly before windows 7 can boot your VHD!!
Step 1: Begin by following this Tutorial to create a VHD: Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD
Step 2: Open a elevated command prompt.
Step 3: type this command: bcdedit /copy {current} /d "VHD_Boot"
If the command succeeds, BCDEdit displays a message similar to the following:
The entry was successfully copied to {CLSID_Number}
Take note of the CLSID number as you will need this during the next step
Step 4: Then type this command bcdedit /set {CLSID_Number} osdevice vhd=[C:]\disk1.vhd
Step 5: Thats it, You can now boot VHDs using Windows 7
To confirm the settings simply type bcdedit
If your VHD is configured correctly You can reboot and select the extra boot-option to boot from your VHD
WARNING
VirtualPC VHDs can not be used for booting with Windows 7 because VirtualPC uses a Pentium 3 HAL and this prevents them from being used as boot media, You can however use this Tutorial: Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD and create then mount a VHD for use with VMWare Workstation....
You simply set VMWare workstation to use a Physical Disk, you can then Install a separate OS onto this mounted VHD for use with Windows 7.
Tip
You Must reset your VHD VirtualOS configuration like HAL type and driver configuration or your VHD will fail to boot!!! It must be cleaned of VirtualOS configuration correctly before windows 7 can boot your VHD!!
NOTE
There are still many bugs associated with VHD booting with Windows 7 at this time, I suspect Microsoft will be releasing a new Version of VirtualPC that's able to manage this entire process of creating, installing and booting separate VHDs at boot-time easily and without so many problems
Other Article:
- How to Change the Windows 7 Default Control Panel View
- How to Customize the View in the Services Window in Windows 7
- Free Windows 7 Transformation Pack Download
- Free Windows 7 Themes For Vista and XP
- 20 New Features of Windows 7
- Free Download UxTheme Patch for Windows 7
by : steve
source : sevenforums.com
Information
Windows 7 PDC build 6801 includes support for creating, mounting and booting from VHD images but not many seem to know how to use this functionality to boot VHDs at boot time... I will detail the steps required to have another OS bootable using Windows 7...
WARNING
This only works with Vista and Windows 7 VHD images!
If you do not have a good knowledge of how to reset your VirtualOS configuration like HAL type and driver configuration then your VHD will fail to boot, It must be cleaned of VirtualOS configuration correctly before windows 7 can boot your VHD!!
Step 1: Begin by following this Tutorial to create a VHD: Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD
Step 2: Open a elevated command prompt.
Step 3: type this command: bcdedit /copy {current} /d "VHD_Boot"
If the command succeeds, BCDEdit displays a message similar to the following:
The entry was successfully copied to {CLSID_Number}
Take note of the CLSID number as you will need this during the next step
Step 4: Then type this command bcdedit /set {CLSID_Number} osdevice vhd=[C:]\disk1.vhd
Step 5: Thats it, You can now boot VHDs using Windows 7
To confirm the settings simply type bcdedit
If your VHD is configured correctly You can reboot and select the extra boot-option to boot from your VHD
WARNING
VirtualPC VHDs can not be used for booting with Windows 7 because VirtualPC uses a Pentium 3 HAL and this prevents them from being used as boot media, You can however use this Tutorial: Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD and create then mount a VHD for use with VMWare Workstation....
You simply set VMWare workstation to use a Physical Disk, you can then Install a separate OS onto this mounted VHD for use with Windows 7.
Tip
You Must reset your VHD VirtualOS configuration like HAL type and driver configuration or your VHD will fail to boot!!! It must be cleaned of VirtualOS configuration correctly before windows 7 can boot your VHD!!
NOTE
There are still many bugs associated with VHD booting with Windows 7 at this time, I suspect Microsoft will be releasing a new Version of VirtualPC that's able to manage this entire process of creating, installing and booting separate VHDs at boot-time easily and without so many problems
Other Article:
- How to Change the Windows 7 Default Control Panel View
- How to Customize the View in the Services Window in Windows 7
- Free Windows 7 Transformation Pack Download
- Free Windows 7 Themes For Vista and XP
- 20 New Features of Windows 7
- Free Download UxTheme Patch for Windows 7
by : steve
source : sevenforums.com
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Windows geeks warm to Macs
Vista's woes and Apple's move to the Intel platform have helped kick open the corporate doors to Macs, so it's no surprise that some Windows developers prefer working on Macs
At Simply RFiD, a half-dozen software developers yearned for Macs at work. They liked the power and reliability of the Apple machines. Oddly, Simply RFiD made the switch to Mac Pros for its developers to write code for Windows computers.
IDC Study Results: The Common Resource Gap Facing Midsize Companies and the Time-Tested Alliance that Can Save Them - read this white paper.
"We're small and don't want to deal with tech support issues, and that's what Windows has become," says Carl Brown, a software engineer and president of Simply RFiD, which helps companies use radio frequency identification technology. "The only reason why we even run Windows is because we're a Windows developer."
[ Check out Tom Yager's look at the Nehalem Mac Pro in "The Mac reborn." | Get the analysis and insights that only Randall C. Kennedy can provide on PC tech in InfoWorld's Enterprise Desktop blog. And download our free Windows performance-monitoring tool. ]
Let's face it: Techies love great technology, and so it's no surprise that some Windows developers prefer working on Macs, which are considered by many to be the best desktop computers on the market today. Microsoft, on the other hand, is still trying to cover up its Vista black eye. For many techies, the much maligned Vista operating system has become a symbol of backward innovation.
[ Not just the creative types but even IT pros are demanding Macs. | In another twist, iMacs are a good bang for the buck, reports CIO. ]
Macs have made giant strides in the enterprise in recent years, thanks to Vista's woes, Apple's move to the Intel platform and emerging trends such as desktop virtualization and software-as-a-service that make it easier to access applications using a non-Windows computer. All have helped kick open the corporate doors to Macs. Last year, the Yankee Group surveyed 750 senior IT executives and found that nearly 80 percent have Macs in their environment, up from 47 percent in 2006.
Are you ready for event-driven business? - watch this webcast.
"We wanted to use Macs exclusively five years ago, but it wasn't feasible because there were just too many Windows applications that had to run on a PC," Brown says. "We all had Windows PCs at work and Macs at home but couldn't justify the Mac as our main PC. With Intel boxes, virtualization and SaaS, now you can."
Windows geeks wanting Macs?
Most Apple enterprise enthusiasts come from creative and sales ranks, such as marketing departments and iPhone-toting execs. "I don't think we'd ever entertain rolling out Macs unless there was some kind of creative or digital component," says Michael Iacona, CIO of TMP Worldwide Advertising and Communications. "They are much more expensive" and harder to manage.
Yet there are signs that techies want their Macs, too. At Simply RFiD, .Net developers run Visual Studio in a VMware virtualization machine on a Mac Pro-a very stable and fast platform for programmers. In fact, Brown contends that VMware on a Mac Pro runs Windows better than Windows runs Windows.
Moreover, with a click of the mouse, software developers can instantly flip to the Mac OS. They can quickly open up iChat videoconferencing or tap into one of many Internet services that Simply RFiD uses, such as Google Apps for email and collaboration and Netsuite for back office functions. It helps that Macs are known for their easy interaction with Internet-based services.
Simply RFiD engineers aren't alone in their affection for the Mac. Other IT pros are demanding Macs, often spurred by an appreciation of Apple's reputable hardware and zest for technological innovation. The fact that Mac OS X is Unix-based also means many developers feel at home.
Unbreakable Windows!
Software developers, though, can be a fickle lot. For instance, Brown spent the last two days hooking up a fully patched $500 Vista machine to a $2,000 Apple monitor to see what would happen. There were a lot of annoying prompts, he says, but the system worked well enough.
IDC Study Results: The Common Resource Gap Facing Midsize Companies and the Time-Tested Alliance that Can Save Them - read this white paper.
So well, in fact, that his team got together to discuss the latest Windows trends-and buzz started swirling about bringing PCs back. Microsoft's Live platform, along with its shared server for small or large organizations, "looks pretty cool," Brown says. He's also encouraged by new Microsoft products that are smaller rather than bigger, a sign Microsoft is moving away from traditionally massive, monolithic applications that requre two days to patch.
"We've been watching what [Ray Ozzie, chief software architect] has done there the last few years," says Brown, "and it's kind of exciting to see that Microsoft might have a soul again."
By Tom Kaneshige
At Simply RFiD, a half-dozen software developers yearned for Macs at work. They liked the power and reliability of the Apple machines. Oddly, Simply RFiD made the switch to Mac Pros for its developers to write code for Windows computers.
IDC Study Results: The Common Resource Gap Facing Midsize Companies and the Time-Tested Alliance that Can Save Them - read this white paper.
"We're small and don't want to deal with tech support issues, and that's what Windows has become," says Carl Brown, a software engineer and president of Simply RFiD, which helps companies use radio frequency identification technology. "The only reason why we even run Windows is because we're a Windows developer."
[ Check out Tom Yager's look at the Nehalem Mac Pro in "The Mac reborn." | Get the analysis and insights that only Randall C. Kennedy can provide on PC tech in InfoWorld's Enterprise Desktop blog. And download our free Windows performance-monitoring tool. ]
Let's face it: Techies love great technology, and so it's no surprise that some Windows developers prefer working on Macs, which are considered by many to be the best desktop computers on the market today. Microsoft, on the other hand, is still trying to cover up its Vista black eye. For many techies, the much maligned Vista operating system has become a symbol of backward innovation.
[ Not just the creative types but even IT pros are demanding Macs. | In another twist, iMacs are a good bang for the buck, reports CIO. ]
Macs have made giant strides in the enterprise in recent years, thanks to Vista's woes, Apple's move to the Intel platform and emerging trends such as desktop virtualization and software-as-a-service that make it easier to access applications using a non-Windows computer. All have helped kick open the corporate doors to Macs. Last year, the Yankee Group surveyed 750 senior IT executives and found that nearly 80 percent have Macs in their environment, up from 47 percent in 2006.
Are you ready for event-driven business? - watch this webcast.
"We wanted to use Macs exclusively five years ago, but it wasn't feasible because there were just too many Windows applications that had to run on a PC," Brown says. "We all had Windows PCs at work and Macs at home but couldn't justify the Mac as our main PC. With Intel boxes, virtualization and SaaS, now you can."
Windows geeks wanting Macs?
Most Apple enterprise enthusiasts come from creative and sales ranks, such as marketing departments and iPhone-toting execs. "I don't think we'd ever entertain rolling out Macs unless there was some kind of creative or digital component," says Michael Iacona, CIO of TMP Worldwide Advertising and Communications. "They are much more expensive" and harder to manage.
Yet there are signs that techies want their Macs, too. At Simply RFiD, .Net developers run Visual Studio in a VMware virtualization machine on a Mac Pro-a very stable and fast platform for programmers. In fact, Brown contends that VMware on a Mac Pro runs Windows better than Windows runs Windows.
Moreover, with a click of the mouse, software developers can instantly flip to the Mac OS. They can quickly open up iChat videoconferencing or tap into one of many Internet services that Simply RFiD uses, such as Google Apps for email and collaboration and Netsuite for back office functions. It helps that Macs are known for their easy interaction with Internet-based services.
Simply RFiD engineers aren't alone in their affection for the Mac. Other IT pros are demanding Macs, often spurred by an appreciation of Apple's reputable hardware and zest for technological innovation. The fact that Mac OS X is Unix-based also means many developers feel at home.
Unbreakable Windows!
Software developers, though, can be a fickle lot. For instance, Brown spent the last two days hooking up a fully patched $500 Vista machine to a $2,000 Apple monitor to see what would happen. There were a lot of annoying prompts, he says, but the system worked well enough.
IDC Study Results: The Common Resource Gap Facing Midsize Companies and the Time-Tested Alliance that Can Save Them - read this white paper.
So well, in fact, that his team got together to discuss the latest Windows trends-and buzz started swirling about bringing PCs back. Microsoft's Live platform, along with its shared server for small or large organizations, "looks pretty cool," Brown says. He's also encouraged by new Microsoft products that are smaller rather than bigger, a sign Microsoft is moving away from traditionally massive, monolithic applications that requre two days to patch.
"We've been watching what [Ray Ozzie, chief software architect] has done there the last few years," says Brown, "and it's kind of exciting to see that Microsoft might have a soul again."
By Tom Kaneshige
