CVE-2025-22226: VMware ESXi Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-22226 Overview

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.

Critical Impact
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to disclose sensitive memory details, potentially leading to further attacks.

Affected Products

vmware esxi
vmware cloud_foundation
vmware fusion

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to VMware
Not Available - CVE CVE-2025-22226 assigned
Not Available - VMware releases security patch
2025-03-04 - CVE CVE-2025-22226 published to NVD
2025-10-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-22226

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds read in the HGFS component of VMware products. This out-of-bounds read could potentially be manipulated by an attacker to disclose sensitive memory information that could then be used in further attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is an out-of-bounds read operation in the HGFS component, which does not correctly validate its memory boundaries.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability is exploitable locally by actors with administrative privileges to a virtual machine.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
char buffer[10];
char sensitive_data[100];

// Potentially dangerous read
memcpy(buffer, sensitive_data + n, 15);

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-22226

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual memory access patterns in the vmx process
Presence of non-typical log entries related to HGFS operations
Alerts from intrusion detection systems monitoring VMware services

Detection Strategies

Security teams should implement monitoring for unusual memory access and audit logs for unexpected HGFS operations. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems with specific rules for VMware-related anomalies can help in early detection.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ensure continuous monitoring of memory access requests and implement logging for all HGFS operations. Validate consistent access patterns to prevent potential exploitation attempts.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-22226

Immediate Actions Required

Verify administrative privileges for all users
Monitor and log all access to HGFS
Apply latest security patches from VMware

Patch Information

Visit VMware's official advisory for details on applying patches: Vendor Advisory

Workarounds

Limit access to HGFS by refining VM configurations and implementing stricter access controls. It may also be useful to disable HGFS if not required for operations.

bash

# Configuration example
vmware-config --disable-HGFS