CVE-2025-22226
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion Information Disclosure Vulnerability
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion
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.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 4 March 2025. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 25 March 2025.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 1.8%, which is higher than 77.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2025-22226 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2025-22226.
What does CVE-2025-22226 affect?
CVE-2025-22226 affects VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion. 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.
How severe is CVE-2025-22226?
CVE-2025-22226 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.1. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.8%, higher than 77.4% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 25 March 2025.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2025-22226?
Apply the vendor patch for VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.