# CVE-2025-22224: VMware ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-22224-vmware-esxi-and-workstation-toctou-race-condition-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2025-03-04. Updated: 2026-05-09  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2025-22224 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.3 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2025-03-04

VMware ESXi and Workstation contain a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability that leads to an out-of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine can exploit this to execute code as the VMX process on the host.

Technologies: [VMware ESXi](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/esxi), [VMware Workstation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/workstation). Vendors: [VMware](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/vmware).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2025-22224 exploited in the wild?** Yes. CVE-2025-22224 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 4 March 2025. Treat it as urgent.

**How severe is CVE-2025-22224?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.3, published 4 March 2025.

**Which products and versions are affected?** VMware ESXi 7.0, 8.0; VMware Workstation 17.0 to 17.6.3; VMware Cloud Foundation; VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure 2.2, 2.5, 2.7, 3.0; and 1 more.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2025-22224?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2025-22224 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2025-22224?** Check whether you run VMware ESXi or VMware Workstation. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- VMware ESXi 7.0, 8.0
- VMware Workstation 17.0 to 17.6.3
- VMware Cloud Foundation
- VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure 2.2, 2.5, 2.7, 3.0
- VMware Telco Cloud Platform 2.0, 2.5, 2.7, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0.1, 5.0

## Timeline

- 2025-03-04: disclosed
- 2025-03-04: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog
- 2025-03-04: exploited: Reported as exploited in the wild.
- 2025-03-04: advisory: VMware/Broadcom published security advisory.

## Related threats

- [VMware Workstation and Fusion stack buffer overflow in HGFS](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59347-vmware-workstation-and-fusion-contain-a-stack-based-buffer)
- [VMware Workstation and Fusion integer overflow in VMXNET3](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-59346-vmware-workstation-and-fusion-contain-an-integer-overflow)
- [VMware ESX insufficient logging vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41709-vmware-esx-insufficient-logging-vulnerability)
- [VMware ESX out-of-bounds write in VMXNET3 adapter](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-47876-vmware-esx-out-of-bounds-write-in-vmxnet3-adapter)
- [VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion out-of-bounds read](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-41703-vmware-esxi-workstation-and-fusion-out-of-bounds-read)