Two vulnerabilities have been reported in VMware Studio, which can be exploited by malicious, local users to gain escalated privileges and by malicious users to compromise a vulnerable system.

1) An unspecified error within the Virtual Appliance Management Infrastructure (VAMI) can be exploited to execute arbitrary commands.

Note: This also affects appliances created with VMware Studio 2.0.

Successful exploitation requires that a user account with limited privileges has been created (not default) and that the credentials are known to the attacker.

2) The appliance uses temporary files in an insecure manner, which can be exploited to e.g. gain escalated privileges.

Successful exploitation requires that a user account with limited privileges has been created (not default) and that the credentials are known to the attacker.

Solution
Update to VMware Studio 2.1 build 1318-268792. Recreate the virtual appliances using Studio 2.1.
Further details available to Secunia VIM customers

Provided and/or discovered by
The vendor credits Claudio Criscione, Secure Network.

Original Advisory
VMSA-2010-0011:
http://www.wmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2010-0011.html

Deep Links
Links available to Secunia VIM customers