CVE-2025-41238
CVE-2025-41238 is a critical-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-787.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.3)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-21542
- Weakness: CWE-787
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a heap-overflow vulnerability in the PVSCSI (Paravirtualized SCSI) controller that leads to an out of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host. On ESXi, the exploitation is contained within the VMX sandbox and exploitable only with configurations that are unsupported. On Workstation and Fusion, this may lead to code execution on the machine where Workstation or Fusion is installed.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-41238?
- VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a heap-overflow vulnerability in the PVSCSI (Paravirtualized SCSI) controller that leads to an out of-bounds write. A malicious actor with local administrative privileges on a virtual machine may exploit this issue to execute code as the virtual machine's VMX process running on the host. On ESXi, the exploitation is contained within the VMX sandbox and exploitable only with configurations that are unsupported. On Workstation and Fusion, this may lead to code execution on the machine where Workstation or Fusion is installed.
- How severe is CVE-2025-41238?
- CVE-2025-41238 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.3, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2025-41238 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- How do I fix CVE-2025-41238?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- Does CVE-2025-41238 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2025-41238 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-21542.
- When was CVE-2025-41238 published?
- CVE-2025-41238 was published on 2025-07-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
Other CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) vulnerabilities
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