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VMware ESXi 7.0 / 8.0 Multiple Vulnerabilities (VMSA-2025-0004)

critical Nessus Plugin ID 237304

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Synopsis

The remote VMware ESXi host is affected by multiple vulnerabilities.

Description

The version of VMware ESXi installed on the remote host is 7.0 prior to 7.0 Update 3s, 8.0 Update 2 prior to 8.0 Update 2d, or 8.0 Update 3 prior to 8.0 Update 3d. It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities as referenced in the VMSA-2025-0004 advisory:

 - VMware ESXi, and Workstation contain a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check Time-of-Use) vulnerability that leads to an out-of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host. (CVE-2025-22224)

 - VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability. A malicious actor with privileges within the VMX process may trigger an arbitrary kernel write leading to an escape of the sandbox. (CVE-2025-22225)

 - 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. (CVE-2025-22226)

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Upgrade to VMware ESXi 7.0 Update 3s, 8.0 Update 2d, or 8.0 Update 3d or later.

See Also

http://www.nessus.org/u?15790ced

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 237304

File Name: vmware_esxi_vmsa-2025-0004.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: remote

Family: Misc.

Published: 5/27/2025

Updated: 5/27/2025

Supported Sensors: Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Critical

Score: 9.2

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.2

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2025-22224

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.3

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Vulnerability Information

CPE: cpe:/o:vmware:esxi

Required KB Items: Host/VMware/release, Host/VMware/vsphere

Patch Publication Date: 3/4/2025

Vulnerability Publication Date: 3/4/2025

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability Due Dates: 3/25/2025

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2025-22224, CVE-2025-22225, CVE-2025-22226

IAVA: 2025-A-0148

VMSA: 2025-0004