CVE-2025-41244
CVE-2025-41244 is a security flaw in Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools. Someone who already has a foothold can use Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools to take full control of the machine. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 30 Oct 2025.[1]
Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools 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 9.0.1.0, 13.0.5.0, 12.5.4 and 8.18.5.
Description
CISA calls it a privilege defined with unsafe actions in Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools. In its words: “Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools contain a privilege defined with unsafe actions vulnerability. A malicious local actor with non-administrative privileges having access to a VM with VMware Tools installed and managed by Aria Operations with SDMP enabled may exploit this vulnerability to escalate privileges to root on the same VM.”[1]
The underlying weakness is CWE-267, in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE 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 |
|---|---|
| VCF operations | 9.0.1.0 |
| VMware tools | 13.0.5.0 |
| VMware tools | 12.5.4 |
| VMware Aria Operations | 8.18.5 |
| VMware Cloud Foundation | 8.18.5 |
| VMware Telco Cloud Platform | 8.18.5 |
| VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure | 8.18.5 |
Most families won’t have Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 30 Oct 2025, 31 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 20 Nov 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 9%. That’s in the top 5% 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
Broadcom 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.Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools 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 9.0.1.0, 13.0.5.0, 12.5.4 and 8.18.5), or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 20 Nov 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 7.8.[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 9%.[4] |
See also
Other Broadcom flaws
- CVE-2026-41709, Broadcom VMware ESX: insufficient logging ·
- CVE-2026-59310, Broadcom VMware vCenter: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-22719, Broadcom VMware Aria Operations: command injection ·
- CVE-2024-37079, Broadcom VMware vCenter Server: out-of-bounds write ·
- CVE-2025-1976, Broadcom Brocade Fabric OS: code injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-24893, XWiki Platform: eval injection ·
Every Broadcom flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in October 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools Privilege Defined with Unsafe Actions Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 30 Oct 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-41244 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 29 Sep 2025.
- ^ Broadcom. Advisories and fixes: support.broadcom.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.086, percentile 95.1, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-41244”. 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.