CVE-2026-22716 in Workstation
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2026
Out-of-bound write vulnerability in VMware Workstation 25H1 and below on any platform allows an actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM to terminate certain Workstation processes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds write condition affecting VMware Workstation versions 25H1 and earlier across all supported platforms. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that occurs when processing specific input data within the virtualization environment. An attacker operating from within a guest virtual machine with standard user privileges can exploit this vulnerability to trigger process termination within the host Workstation application. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds write conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The vulnerability exists in the guest-to-host communication mechanisms where insufficient input validation allows malicious data to overwrite memory regions beyond allocated buffers. This type of flaw falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as it provides a potential pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized control over virtualization processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple process termination, as it creates opportunities for denial of service attacks that could disrupt legitimate virtualization operations. When certain Workstation processes are terminated, it can lead to complete virtual machine instability or even host system crashes depending on the criticality of the affected process. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges from the guest environment, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant virtualization scenarios where different users share the same host infrastructure. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to create persistent denial of service conditions that would prevent legitimate users from accessing their virtual machines. The vulnerability's presence in VMware Workstation 25H1 and earlier versions indicates a widespread exposure across multiple releases, suggesting that organizations running these versions are all at risk regardless of their specific deployment environment.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application for VMware Workstation 25H1 and earlier versions, as this represents the most effective solution to address the underlying memory corruption flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit guest VM privileges where possible, reducing the attack surface available to potential exploiters. Additional protective measures include monitoring for unusual process termination patterns within the VMware Workstation host environment and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper bounds checking and input validation in virtualization software components, particularly those handling inter-process communication between guest and host environments. Security teams should also consider implementing virtual machine isolation techniques and regularly auditing virtualization configurations to prevent unauthorized access to critical system resources that could be exploited through similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation scenarios involving virtualization platform instability.