CVE-2025-22225
HIGHCISA KEVDescription
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.
How to fix
Actively exploited, no published fix found yet
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.
Federal remediation due: 2025-03-25
Known ransomware campaign use
Mitigation guidance may be in the linked vendor advisories in the References section below.
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CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Moderate risk: more likely to be exploited than 59% of all known CVEs.
VMware ESXi Arbitrary Write Vulnerability
VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with privileges within the VMX process to trigger an arbitrary kernel write leading to an escape of the sandbox.
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Remediation due: 2025-03-25
Associated with ransomware campaigns
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-22457 | Critical | 9.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2025-0282 | Critical | 9.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2015-3113 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2021-20038 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2023-4863 | High | 8.8 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2020-16040 | Medium | 6.5 | 100% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2025-22225?
No published fix for CVE-2025-22225 has been found yet. It is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list; federal agencies must remediate by 2025-03-25. Apply the vendor's mitigations per CISA's guidance.
Is CVE-2025-22225 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2025-22225 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation has been observed in the wild. CISA has also linked it to known ransomware campaigns. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 2025-03-25. Treat it as a priority whatever its CVSS score says.
How severe is CVE-2025-22225?
CVE-2025-22225 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.2, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-08-04.