CVE-2025-22225

Published Mar 4, 2025

Last updated 3 months ago

VMware

Overview

AI description

Automated description summarized from trusted sources.

CVE-2025-22225 is an arbitrary file write vulnerability that affects VMware ESXi. An attacker with privileges inside the VMX process can exploit this vulnerability to trigger arbitrary kernel writes, which can lead to a sandbox escape. The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.2. This vulnerability is one of three zero-day flaws (CVE-2025-22224, CVE-2025-22225, and CVE-2025-22226) that are being actively exploited. VMware has released patches for these vulnerabilities and urges customers to update their systems immediately. There are no known workarounds available.

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.
Source: security@vmware.com
NVD status: Analyzed
Products: esxi, cloud_foundation, telco_cloud_infrastructure, telco_cloud_platform

Risk scores

CVSS 3.1

Type: Primary
Base score: 8.2
Impact score: 6
Exploitability score: 1.5
Vector string: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity: HIGH

Known exploits

Data from CISA

Vulnerability name: VMware ESXi Arbitrary Write Vulnerability
Exploit added on: Mar 4, 2025
Exploit action due: Mar 25, 2025
Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Weaknesses

nvd@nist.gov: CWE-787
134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0: CWE-123

Hype score: Not currently trending

Configurations

[
  {
    "nodes": [
      {
        "negate": false,
        "cpeMatch": [
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "5CBA6B5A-F345-41D1-8AA0-E5F274A2D8FB"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:beta:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "F030A666-1955-438B-8417-5C294905399F"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "2C8DB7F6-5765-4355-B30E-9CAC39ECA5D9"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1a:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "A790D41E-B398-4233-9EC7-CF5BE2BC3161"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1b:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "B7619C16-5306-4C4A-88E8-E80876635F66"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "238E7AF4-722B-423D-ABB1-424286B06715"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1d:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "1E4DE8C7-72FB-4BEC-AD9E-378786295011"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_1e:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "2E6DE184-35C8-4A13-91D4-4B43E9F0168C"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_2:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "D3E3A02D-6C1E-4DE8-B845-60F53C056F32"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_2a:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "12D385F0-DB2B-4802-AD0E-31441DA056B9"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_2c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "2C202879-9230-4E1D-BAB8-4FB7CE4BBC24"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_2d:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "CC6DC107-5142-4155-A33B-D5BE72E9ED38"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_2e:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "39817170-5C45-4F8A-916D-81B7352055DD"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "4ADC3CFF-7415-46A5-817A-2F053B261E8C"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "A2F831A7-544E-4B45-BA49-7F7A0234579C"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3d:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "80A0DD2E-F1CC-413B-91F9-E3986011A0A0"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3e:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "C77771B2-BC64-47A5-B6DB-9CBCC4456B67"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3f:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "86DE9CE6-F6C0-47D2-B3AB-34852A8B9603"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3g:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "E75B2F03-702E-4359-9BB2-E234F1DC38C8"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3i:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "ACAA9494-5248-4B01-8BC1-C38AB615FFD7"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3j:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "BF12014B-BF2B-42EF-B70C-59CDA8E2176F"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3k:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "F965D853-EE4A-41F5-840B-2D009ACC9754"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3l:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "BA7B7313-FF53-43C9-AF4D-B639053D3FA3"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3m:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "9FB5738F-27E4-42C6-BD1B-F7F66A7EF0A6"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3n:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "FC3668A6-262B-42BF-9E90-28BAA9BB3347"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3o:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "DA4E9185-44BA-41E6-8600-C8616E199334"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3p:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "F50302BB-B950-4178-A109-358393E0A50A"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3q:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "BCCA4A31-1291-4FB4-9FA5-D2CCD086D660"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:7.0:update_3r:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "78604FE5-510F-4979-B2E3-D36B3083224A"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "7A1A402A-9262-4B97-A0B7-E5AE045E394D"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:a:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "FE44B379-9943-4DD1-8514-26F87482AFA8"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:b:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "2A797377-8945-4D75-AA68-A768855E5842"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "79D84D76-54BE-49E9-905C-7D65B4B42D68"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_1:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "2F8767F7-7C3D-457D-9EAC-E8A30796F751"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_1a:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "29AF8474-2D7A-4C5A-82B9-7A873AD90C2E"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_1c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "7781A2CA-D927-48CD-9932-AE42B7BA1EFE"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_1d:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "18FD08C9-5895-4BF4-BBE0-C2DDA5F6B836"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_2:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "360C1B71-5360-4379-B0DE-63BB8F5E6DA2"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_2b:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "B16ED7C1-9881-452A-8BE0-EDDEAEFE3D7B"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_2c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "ED92209F-FBD6-43F9-9A15-3842B139FCC9"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_3:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "6B701151-1B57-4E2D-A9AB-586FACEA2385"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_3b:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "4230B9AA-9E0C-4AE2-814D-8DD641394879"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:8.0:update_3c:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "F2FA150B-93E4-44D2-BF6D-347085A95776"
          }
        ],
        "operator": "OR"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "nodes": [
      {
        "negate": false,
        "cpeMatch": [
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:cloud_foundation:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "31A7BB38-3238-413E-9736-F1A165D40867"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_infrastructure:2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "7E46A694-8698-4283-9E25-01F222B63E9A"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_infrastructure:2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "59B9476F-E5E7-46B6-AC38-4630D0933462"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_infrastructure:2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "9A045567-2563-4539-8E95-361087CB7762"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_infrastructure:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "D11103A7-6AB5-4E78-BE11-BC2A04A09F19"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "6C5F01D7-2675-4D09-B52B-B02D0EF52AEA"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "B5F8D61F-6E8B-4EE3-91DE-EBA6FF7D289E"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "B1E94D58-26A0-4E84-8CAD-F8CDB6707642"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "FC33D39A-5760-467E-8284-F4E5D8082BBD"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "448206AA-A023-4AA1-98FD-35BC2A2AB2B5"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "0F6E30F8-B977-40A5-9E45-89B5C5E59170"
          },
          {
            "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:vmware:telco_cloud_platform:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
            "vulnerable": true,
            "matchCriteriaId": "D6B84F65-2E52-4445-8F97-2729B84B18E3"
          }
        ],
        "operator": "OR"
      }
    ]
  }
]

References

Sources include official advisories and independent security research.