CVE-2025-22226 in ESXi
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2025
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain an information disclosure vulnerability due to an out-of-bounds read in HGFS. A malicious actor with administrative privileges to a virtual machine may be able to exploit this issue to leak memory from the vmx process.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2025
This vulnerability exists within VMware's virtualization platforms including ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion systems where an information disclosure flaw has been identified in the HGFS (Host Guest File System) component. The issue stems from an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when processing certain file system operations between the host and guest operating systems. This particular vulnerability requires administrative privileges within a virtual machine to exploit, making it a privilege escalation concern rather than a direct remote attack vector. The out-of-bounds read vulnerability allows an attacker to access memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data that could be used for further exploitation or system compromise.
The technical nature of this flaw places it within the scope of CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems. This vulnerability operates at the hypervisor level where the virtualization layer interacts with guest operating systems, creating a potential attack surface that could be leveraged by malicious actors who have already gained administrative access to a virtual machine. The memory leak occurs during HGFS operations that facilitate file sharing between host and guest systems, making it particularly concerning for environments where multiple virtual machines are running on a single host infrastructure.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on VMware virtualization solutions, especially those with less stringent access controls or insufficient monitoring of administrative privileges. The memory disclosure could potentially expose sensitive information including system configuration details, cryptographic keys, or other confidential data stored within the vmx process memory space. This information could be valuable for attackers seeking to escalate privileges further or conduct targeted attacks against the underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the core virtualization functionality and could potentially lead to broader system compromise if the leaked information includes authentication tokens or other critical system parameters.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying VMware's security patches and updates as soon as they become available, reviewing and enforcing strict access controls for virtual machine administrative privileges, and implementing enhanced monitoring of virtualization layer activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques where adversaries leverage existing administrative access to extract additional information from compromised systems. Additional defensive measures should include network segmentation to limit the impact of potential exploitation, regular vulnerability assessments targeting virtualization components, and comprehensive incident response procedures that account for hypervisor-level vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing memory protection mechanisms and regular security audits of virtualization environments to detect and prevent potential exploitation of similar out-of-bounds read conditions.