VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability.
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Listed in CISA KEV
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Actively exploited
- Fix
- Fixed in ESXi80U3d-24585383, ESXi80U2d-24585300, ESXi70U3s-24585291
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
VMware ESXi, a widely used hypervisor for running virtual machines, is affected by this vulnerability. An attacker who already has privileges within the VMX process could exploit it to write arbitrary data to the kernel and escape the sandbox, potentially gaining control beyond the virtual machine.
Summarized by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5. Verify details against the original sources.
Read the original description
VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability. A malicious actor with privileges within the VMX process may trigger an arbitrary kernel write leading to an escape of the sandbox.
Timeline
- CVE published
- Added to CISA KEV
CISA has evidence of exploitation in the wild
- CISA remediation deadline
Due date for US federal agencies to patch
- Record last updated
Affected versions
- n/a VMware ESXi
From 8.0 · fixed in ESXi80U3d-24585383; From 8.0 · fixed in ESXi80U2d-24585300; From 7.0 · fixed in ESXi70U3s-24585291
- n/a VMware Cloud Foundation
5.x, 4.5.x
- n/a VMware Telco Cloud Platform
5.x, 4.x, 3.x, 2.x
- n/a VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure
3.x, 2.x
References 1
Questions about CVE-2025-22225
What does this mean?
A user with privileges inside the VMX process of an ESXi virtual machine can trigger an arbitrary write to kernel memory. That write can let them escape the virtual machine's sandbox.Source: support.broadcom.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
The affected products are VMware ESXi 8.0 and 7.0, along with Cloud Foundation and Telco Cloud Platform builds that include ESXi. To check an ESXi host, look at its version and build number in the host's summary or with the vmware -v command in the shell. Fixed builds are ESXi 8.0 U3d (ESXi80U3d-24585383), 8.0 U2d (ESXi80U2d-24585300), and 7.0 U3s (ESXi70U3s-24585291).Source: support.broadcom.com
What should I do about it?
Upgrade ESXi hosts to a fixed build for your release line: ESXi80U3d-24585383 for 8.0 U3, ESXi80U2d-24585300 for 8.0 U2, or ESXi70U3s-24585291 for 7.0 U3. Cloud Foundation and Telco Cloud Platform deployments should follow the patch guidance for the ESXi build they include.Source: support.broadcom.com
Is it being exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-03-04, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cisa.gov, cve.now feed data