Overview
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-41246, is an improper authorisation issue present in VMware Tools for Windows. The issue affects guest VMs, potentially exposing them to unauthorised access from malicious actors. The severity of this vulnerability is driven by the potential it offers for system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-41246
Severity: High, CVSS score 7.6
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
VMware Tools for Windows | All prior versions
How the Exploit Works
A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM who has authenticated through vCenter or ESX can exploit this vulnerability. The exploitation is possible due to the improper handling of user access controls in VMware Tools. The attacker could leverage this flaw to gain access to other guest VMs, provided they have knowledge of the credentials for the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
Conceptual Example Code
While the specifics of the exploitation would depend upon the attacker’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), a conceptual example of how such an exploit might work could look like:
# Assume the attacker has already authenticated via vCenter or ESX
# Next, they might try to access other guest VMs
$ ssh user@targeted_vm
Password: [enter password]
# If successful, they could then attempt to perform unauthorised actions
$ cat /etc/passwdNote: This is a simplified and conceptual representation of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability. Actual exploits would likely be more complex and tailored to specific targets.
Mitigations
It is recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available. In the interim, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can offer temporary mitigation.
