# VMware ESXi and Workstation: ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability · pwn.watch

> 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. Added to CISA KEV on 2025-03-04.

Page: https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224 · generated 2026-10-22T19:29:07.289Z

## Status
- Severity: critical · status: closed · patch: patched
- Product: VMware ESXi and Workstation
- Started: 2025-03-04 · closed: 2025-03-04
- CVEs: CVE-2025-22224
- Affected: See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)
- Fixed in: See vendor advisory linked in sources

## Follow this incident
- RSS (one item per update): https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224/feed.xml
- JSON Feed: https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224/feed.json
- Full data (timeline, sources, posts, agentBrief): https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224.json
- This file: https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224/llms.txt

## Updates (newest first)
- 2025-03-04: CISA added CVE-2025-22224 to the KEV catalog (due 2025-03-25).

## Fix brief
# Security brief: VMware ESXi and Workstation: ESXi and Workstation TOCTOU Race Condition Vulnerability

Source: https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224 · status: closed (closed Mar 4, 2025) · severity: critical · updated Mar 4, 2025

## Patch status
**PATCHED: fixed releases exist. Upgrade to a fixed version.**

## What it is
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. Added to CISA KEV on 2025-03-04.

Severity detail: CVSS 9.3 (CNA, v3.1); actively exploited (CISA KEV)

- Product: VMware ESXi and Workstation
- CVE / advisory ids: CVE-2025-22224

## Affected versions
- See vendor advisory / CISA notes (versions not always listed in KEV feed)

## Check whether you're affected
No generic command applies (the product is a hosted service, appliance or desktop app). Check the installed version in its admin UI / About screen and compare with the versions above.

## Fix
Upgrade to one of these fixed versions (or later on the same branch):
- See vendor advisory linked in sources

After upgrading, re-run the checks above and redeploy/restart the affected services.

## Latest updates
- Mar 4, 2025: CISA added CVE-2025-22224 to the KEV catalog (due 2025-03-25).

## Advisories
- [VMware advisory: VMware ESXi and Workstation](https://support.broadcom.com/web/ecx/support-content-notification/-/external/content/SecurityAdvisories/0/25390) (VMware)
- [NVD: CVE-2025-22224](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-22224) (NVD)
- [CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog](https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog) (CISA)

## Caveats
Derived from CISA KEV JSON feed catalogVersion 2026.10.21. CVSS from the CVE record (cvelistV5). Exact affected/fixed version strings are not always in the KEV record; verify against the vendor advisory URL. startedAt uses dateAdded (exploitation may have begun earlier; many entries are older CVEs newly confirmed as exploited in 2025).

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Machine-readable: https://pwn.watch/i/vmware-esxi-and-workstation-cve-2025-22224.json · all incidents: https://pwn.watch/incidents.json. Verify against the vendor advisory before changing production systems.