---
id: "CVE-2025-22224"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2025-22224"]
title: "VMware ESXi, and Workstation contain a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check Time-of-Use) vulnerability that leads to an\u2026"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.3
epss: null
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "infrastructure"
products: [{"name": "VMware ESXi and Workstation", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware esxi", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 7.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware esxi", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 8.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware cloud foundation", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud infrastructure", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.2", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud infrastructure", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.5", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud infrastructure", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.7", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud infrastructure", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 3.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.5", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 2.7", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 3.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 4.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 4.0.1", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware telco cloud platform", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 5.0", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "vmware workstation", "fixed": ["17.6.3"], "affected": ">= 17.0, < 17.6.3", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["esxi", "exploited", "infrastructure", "virtualization", "vmware-workstation"]
not_affected_if: ["no-vmware-hosts"]
published_at: "2025-03-04T00:00:00+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2025-22224", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22224", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00"}]
---

# VMware ESXi, and Workstation contain a TOCTOU (Time-of-Check Time-of-Use) vulnerability that leads to an…

VMware ESXi and Workstation have a race condition (TOCTOU) that causes an out-of-bounds write. An attacker with administrative rights inside a virtual machine can run code as the VMX process on the host.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:VMware ESXi and Workstation affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:vmware esxi affected = 7.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware esxi affected = 8.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware cloud foundation affected ? fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud infrastructure affected = 2.2 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud infrastructure affected = 2.5 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud infrastructure affected = 2.7 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud infrastructure affected = 3.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 2.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 2.5 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 2.7 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 3.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 4.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 4.0.1 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware telco cloud platform affected = 5.0 fixed ?
- vendor:vmware workstation affected >= 17.0, < 17.6.3 fixed 17.6.3

## Fix

Apply the vendor mitigations per VMware's advisory; CISA says to discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:51+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2025-22224
- 2026-10-23T22:29:05+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22224

## From the sources

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.

CISA 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.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_