CVE-2025-22226
Published: March 4, 2025
Official Description
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain an information disclosure vulnerability due to an out-of-bounds read in HGFS. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with administrative privileges to a virtual machine to leak memory from the vmx process.
CISA KEV Advisory
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Information Disclosure Vulnerability
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain an information disclosure vulnerability due to an out-of-bounds read in HGFS. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with administrative privileges to a virtual machine to leak memory from the vmx process.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Risk Analysis
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion are affected by an information disclosure vulnerability due to an out-of-bounds read in HGFS, allowing memory leakage from the vmx process. With an EPSS score of 0.06704 and its presence in CISA's KEV catalog, this vulnerability is highly likely to be exploited and requires immediate attention.
This vulnerability has been actively exploited in the wild and is included in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
Administrators should apply the latest security updates for VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion to address this information disclosure vulnerability.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-22226 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CISA has added CVE-2025-22226 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2025-22226 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
- !CISA KEV: Federal agencies must patch per BOD 22-01 timeline
- !Active exploitation confirmed — treat as P1