CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-41703NVD status: Awaiting Analysis

Cloud Foundation: Out-of-bounds Read

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-41703 is a high-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Cloud Foundation from VMware, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.6 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. The record lists version 5.2.3 as the first without the flaw, so updating Cloud Foundation to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.43% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Cloud Foundation to 5.2.3 or a later version.
  2. Update ESX to ESXi-9.1.0.0-25370933 or ESXi-9.0.2.0100-25595025 or ESXi80U3i-25205845, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Update Workstation to 26H1 or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
VMwareCloud Foundation9.1.x.x; 9.0.x.x; 5.x up to, but not including, 5.2.35.2.3
VMwarevSphere Foundation9.1.x.x; 9.0.x.xNot stated
VMwareESX9.1.x.x up to, but not including, ESXi-9.1.0.0-25370933; 9.0.x.x up to, but not including, ESXi-9.0.2.0100-25595025; 8.0 up to, but not including, ESXi80U3i-25205845ESXi-9.1.0.0-25370933, ESXi-9.0.2.0100-25595025, ESXi80U3i-25205845
VMwareWorkstation25H2 up to, but not including, 26H126H1
VMwareFusion25H2 up to, but not including, 26H126H1
VMwareTelco Cloud Platform5.1.x; 5.0.xNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
LowPerformance or availability is reduced.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L. Scored by CNA (vmware.com).

Official description

VMware ESX, Workstation, and Fusion contain an out-of-bounds read vulnerability. A malicious actor with VM deployment privileges could trigger an out-of-bounds read, potentially leading to information disclosure or more likely a Denial-of-Service (DoS) condition of the host process. On Workstation and Fusion, the impact of this vulnerability is restricted to information disclosure.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Out-of-bounds Read

The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.

More Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities (CWE-125)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Cloud Foundation

All Cloud Foundation vulnerabilities

Recent Out-of-bounds Read vulnerabilities

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