CVE-2025-22224
CVE-2025-22224 is a security flaw in VMware ESXi and Workstation, VMware’s hypervisor, which runs virtual machines in data centres. Attackers can run their own code on VMware ESXi and Workstation. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 4 Mar 2025.[1]
VMware ESXi and Workstation is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Fixed in version ESXi80U3d-24585383, ESXi80U2d-24585300, ESXi70U3s-24585291 and 17.6.3.
Description
CISA calls it a TOCTOU race condition in VMware ESXi and Workstation. In its words: “VMware ESXi and Workstation contain a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability that leads to an out-of-bounds write. Successful exploitation enables an attacker with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host.”[1]
The underlying weakness is CWE-367, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 8.2 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record lists these fixed versions: in each line, everything before the version shown is affected.[2]
| Product | Fixed in |
|---|---|
| ESXi | ESXi80U3d-24585383 |
| ESXi | ESXi80U2d-24585300 |
| ESXi | ESXi70U3s-24585291 |
| Workstation | 17.6.3 |
Most families won’t have VMware ESXi and Workstation; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 4 Mar 2025, within a day of it being made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 25 Mar 2025 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 2%. That’s in the top 25% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
VMware has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s 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.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.VMware ESXi and Workstation is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed (fixed in version ESXi80U3d-24585383, ESXi80U2d-24585300, ESXi70U3s-24585291 and 17.6.3), or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 25 Mar 2025 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.2.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 2%.[4] |
See also
Other VMware flaws
- CVE-2025-22226, VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion: information disclosure ·
- CVE-2025-22225, VMware ESXi: arbitrary write ·
- CVE-2024-38813, VMware vCenter Server: privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2024-38812, VMware vCenter Server: heap-based buffer overflow ·
- CVE-2024-37085, VMware ESXi: authentication bypass ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2025-38352, Linux Kernel: time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition ·
- CVE-2024-30088, Microsoft Windows: kernel TOCTOU race condition ·
- CVE-2022-48618, Apple devices: memory corruption ·
- CVE-2023-35311, Microsoft Outlook: security feature bypass ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-22226, VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion: information disclosure ·
- CVE-2025-22225, VMware ESXi: arbitrary write ·
- CVE-2024-50302, Linux Kernel: use of uninitialized resource ·
Every VMware flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in March 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “VMware ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 4 Mar 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-22224 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 4 Mar 2025.
- ^ VMware. Advisories and fixes: support.broadcom.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.016, percentile 75.2, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-22224”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.