CVE-2025-22247 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access) found in VMware Tools versions 11.x.x and 12.x.x. VMware Tools is a suite of utilities that enhances the performance and management of virtual machines (VMs). This vulnerability arises because VMware Tools improperly handles symbolic links or other file system link types before accessing files within the guest VM. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges inside a guest VM can exploit this flaw by tampering with local files—specifically by creating or manipulating symbolic links—to cause VMware Tools to perform insecure file operations. This can lead to unauthorized modification of files or escalation of privileges within the guest environment. The CVSS 3.1 score of 6.1 reflects a medium severity, with an attack vector limited to local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and unchanged scope (S:U). The impact primarily affects integrity (I:H) with limited confidentiality impact (C:L) and no availability impact (A:N). Although no public exploits are known, the vulnerability represents a risk in environments where multiple users share guest VMs or where attackers can gain limited access to a VM. The flaw could be leveraged to compromise VM integrity, potentially leading to further lateral movement or privilege escalation within virtualized infrastructures.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk particularly in sectors relying heavily on virtualization, such as finance, telecommunications, and cloud service providers. Exploitation could allow attackers with limited guest VM access to escalate privileges or alter critical files, undermining the integrity of virtualized workloads. This may lead to unauthorized changes in application behavior, data corruption, or preparation for further attacks against the host or other VMs. Organizations with multi-tenant environments or shared virtual infrastructure are especially vulnerable, as attackers might leverage this flaw to move laterally or compromise other tenants. While the vulnerability does not directly impact availability or confidentiality to a large extent, the integrity compromise could disrupt business operations or lead to compliance issues under regulations like GDPR if data integrity is affected. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks once exploit code becomes available.

1. Monitor VMware’s official channels and apply security patches or updates for VMware Tools as soon as they are released. 2. Until patches are available, restrict guest VM user privileges to the minimum necessary, preventing untrusted users from creating or modifying symbolic links or critical files. 3. Implement file integrity monitoring within guest VMs to detect suspicious file system changes, especially involving symbolic links or critical configuration files. 4. Employ strict access controls and segmentation within virtualized environments to limit the impact of a compromised guest VM. 5. Use host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to monitor for anomalous behavior related to VMware Tools operations. 6. Educate system administrators and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid response and remediation. 7. Consider isolating sensitive workloads in dedicated VMs with hardened configurations to reduce exposure. 8. Review and audit VM user permissions regularly to ensure compliance with the principle of least privilege.