# CVE-2024-22252: Use-after-free vulnerability

> A local attacker with admin privileges in a VM can exploit a use-after-free in the XHCI USB controller to execute code on the host or VMX process.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 27 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4xp8-3mc6-r83c

## What is CVE-2024-22252?

CVE-2024-22252 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Vmware Esxi, published on 5 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

VMware ESXi, Workstation, and Fusion contain a use-after-free vulnerability in the XHCI USB controller. 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 whereas, on Workstation and Fusion, this may lead to code execution on the machine where Workstation or Fusion is installed.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-22252?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Vmware Esxi, Vmware Fusion, Vmware Workstation.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-22252?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-22252 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-22252 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-22252 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Vmware Esxi

- [CVE-2026-41709](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-41709/): Broadcom VMWare ESX Insufficient Logging (low 2.7, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-5521](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5521/): Information disclosure in VMware ESXi (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2020-3955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3955/): Cross-site scripting in ESXi (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2010-4573](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4573/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2019-5527](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5527/): Use after free in ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, VMRC and Horizon Client (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-22252 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-22252 is a critical use after free vulnerability in Vmware Esxi, published on 5 Mar 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-22252 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Vmware Esxi. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22252/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22252/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-22252
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-22252
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-22252

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22252/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.