CVE-2025-22225: in the CISA KEV catalogue
VMware ESXi Arbitrary Write Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2025-22225 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2025-03-04 with a default due date of 2025-03-25. Known ransomware campaign use: Known. Forensic triage flag: No.
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. (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- VMware ESXi
- CWE
- CWE-123
- 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.
- EPSS
- 1.0%, percentile 63 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts about 1.0 in 100 odds (1.0%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 63% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2025-22225 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2025-22225 (VMware ESXi Arbitrary Write Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2025-03-04. CISA's default due date for it is 2025-03-25.
Is CVE-2025-22225 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Known for CVE-2025-22225.
What should I do about CVE-2025-22225?
CISA's 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.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2025-22225