Cross-guest access via mishandled access controls
Published Sep 29, 2025 · Updated Sep 29, 2025
Incorrect authorization in VMware Tools for Windows allows local users to access other guest VMs through vCenter or ESX. Broadcom identifies improper handling of user access controls but has not disclosed the affected component or the authorization decision that fails. Exploitation requires non-administrative guest privileges, an authenticated vCenter or ESX session, and credentials for each targeted VM; access is limited to those other guests.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect authorization in VMware Tools for Windows allows local users to access other guest VMs through vCenter or ESX. Broadcom identifies improper handling of user access controls but has not disclosed the affected component or the authorization decision that fails. Exploitation requires non-administrative guest privileges, an authenticated vCenter or ESX session, and credentials for each targeted VM; access is limited to those other guests.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-41246
- Published
- Sep 29, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 29, 2025
- Vendor
- VMware
- Product
- VMware Tools
- Classifications
- CWE-863, T1078
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 29, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 29, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=11.x.x
- Affected versionversion=12.x.x <12.5.4
- Affected versionversion=13.x.x.x <13.0.5.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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