CVE-2025-22245 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the router port component of VMware NSX versions 4.0.x, 4.1.x, and 4.2.x. This vulnerability arises due to improper input validation, allowing malicious actors to inject and store malicious scripts within the router port interface. When a legitimate user accesses the affected interface, the malicious script executes in their browser context. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.9, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L) reveals that the attack can be launched remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), but requires high privileges (PR:H) and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a low level. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. Given that VMware NSX is a network virtualization and security platform widely used in enterprise data centers and cloud environments, this vulnerability could be leveraged by insiders or attackers with elevated privileges to execute malicious scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or further compromise of the management interface or connected systems.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on VMware NSX for network virtualization and security orchestration. Exploitation could allow attackers with high privileges to execute malicious scripts that compromise the confidentiality and integrity of management sessions, potentially leading to unauthorized configuration changes or lateral movement within the network. This could disrupt critical network services, degrade availability, and expose sensitive data. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government, which often deploy VMware NSX for secure network segmentation and micro-segmentation, may face increased risk of targeted attacks. The requirement for high privileges and user interaction somewhat limits the attack surface to trusted insiders or attackers who have already gained elevated access, but the changed scope indicates that the impact could extend beyond the immediate component, affecting broader system security. Additionally, the lack of available patches increases the window of exposure until VMware releases a fix.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Immediately review and restrict administrative access to VMware NSX management interfaces, ensuring only trusted personnel have high privilege accounts. 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization controls at the application layer where possible, including web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block XSS payloads targeting NSX interfaces. 3) Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative access to reduce the risk of credential compromise leading to exploitation. 4) Monitor NSX management logs and network traffic for unusual activities indicative of attempted XSS exploitation or privilege misuse. 5) Conduct security awareness training emphasizing the risks of interacting with untrusted content or links within the NSX management environment to reduce the risk of user interaction exploitation. 6) Stay alert for official VMware patches or advisories and plan for rapid deployment once available. 7) Consider network segmentation to isolate NSX management components from general user networks to limit exposure. 8) Employ endpoint protection solutions on administrative workstations to detect and prevent execution of malicious scripts resulting from XSS attacks.