CVE-2025-41246
Improper authorisation vulnerability
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it handles user access controls. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM, who is already authenticated through vCenter or ESX may exploit this issue to access other guest VMs. Successful exploitation requires knowledge of credentials of the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Improper authorisation vulnerability
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it handles user access controls. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM, who is already authenticated through vCenter or ESX may exploit this issue to access other guest VMs. Successful exploitation requires knowledge of credentials of the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
- Record
CVE-2025-41246- CVSS 3.1
- 7.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-31579
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it handles user access controls. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM, who is already authenticated through vCenter or ESX may exploit this issue to access other guest VMs. Successful exploitation requires knowledge of credentials of the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
- Record
EUVD-2025-31579- CVSS 3.1
- 7.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8c4m-2wpp-9qmh
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it...
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it handles user access controls. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM, who is already authenticated through vCenter or ESX may exploit this issue to access other guest VMs. Successful exploitation requires knowledge of credentials of the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
- Record
GHSA-8c4m-2wpp-9qmh- CVSS 3.1
- 7.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
VMware Tools for Windows contains an improper authorisation vulnerability due to the way it handles user access controls. A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a guest VM, who is already authenticated through vCenter or ESX may exploit this issue to access other guest VMs. Successful exploitation requires knowledge of credentials of the targeted VMs and vCenter or ESX.
- Record
CVE-2025-41246- CVSS 3.1
- 7.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-41246 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.6) in Vmware Tools, published September 29, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.28%, the 20th percentile. No source names a fixed version.