# CVE-2025-41228: VMware ESXi and vCenter Server Reflected Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

> Attackers can steal cookies or redirect users via reflected XSS on VMware ESXi and vCenter Server login pages.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 May 2025
- **Updated:** 24 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vqfj-4mcp-7qx6

## What is CVE-2025-41228?

CVE-2025-41228 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in VMware Cloud Foundation, published on 20 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

VMware ESXi and vCenter Server contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability due to improper input validation. A malicious actor with network access to the login page of certain ESXi host or vCenter Server URL paths may exploit this issue to steal cookies or redirect to malicious websites.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-41228?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-41228?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-41228 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-41228 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-41228 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- VMware vSphere Client 8.0.3.0 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) (exploitdb)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-41228 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-41228 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in VMware Cloud Foundation, published on 20 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-41228 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: VMware Cloud Foundation. 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-2025-41228/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-41228/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-41228
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-41228
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-41228

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-41228/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.