Detect CVE-2025-41244 - VMware Aria Operations & VMware Tools Privilege Escalation via Unsafe Actions in CrowdStrike LogScale
Detects exploitation of CVE-2025-41244, a privilege escalation vulnerability in Broadcom VMware Aria Operations and VMware Tools caused by privileges defined with unsafe actions (CWE-267). This KEV-listed vulnerability allows attackers with lower-privileged access to escalate privileges by abusing overly permissive or unsafe role/action definitions within VMware Aria Operations or VMware Tools components. Indicators include anomalous administrative API calls, unexpected privilege changes in VMware management interfaces, and suspicious process activity from VMware Tools guest utilities.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Privilege Escalation Persistence
LogScale Detection Query
#event_simpleName IN ("ProcessRollup2", "UserAccountAddedToGroup", "UserPrivilegeEscalation", "NetworkConnectIP4")
| FileName IN ("vmtoolsd.exe", "vmwareuser.exe", "vmwaretray.exe") OR CommandLine = /(?i)(vrops|aria|roleAssignment|SeTcbPrivilege|SeDebugPrivilege|SeImpersonatePrivilege|net localgroup administrators)/
| eval risk_indicator = case(
FileName IN ("vmtoolsd.exe", "vmwareuser.exe", "vmwaretray.exe") AND CommandLine = /(?i)(SeDebugPrivilege|SeTcbPrivilege|SeImpersonatePrivilege)/, "CRITICAL_PRIV_ABUSE",
FileName IN ("vmtoolsd.exe", "vmwareuser.exe", "vmwaretray.exe") AND CommandLine = /(?i)(net localgroup|whoami \/priv|runas)/, "SUSPICIOUS_ENUM",
#event_simpleName = "UserAccountAddedToGroup" AND ParentBaseFileName IN ("vmtoolsd.exe", "vmwareuser.exe"), "GROUP_ADD_FROM_VMTOOLS",
true(), "INFO"
)
| where risk_indicator IN ("CRITICAL_PRIV_ABUSE", "SUSPICIOUS_ENUM", "GROUP_ADD_FROM_VMTOOLS")
| stats count() AS event_count, values(CommandLine) AS commands, values(risk_indicator) AS risk_indicators BY aid, ComputerName, UserName, FileName
| sort - event_countCrowdStrike Falcon CQL query detecting VMware Tools process abuse and privilege escalation patterns associated with CVE-2025-41244 exploitation.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- VMware Tools performing legitimate guest operations that involve privilege-related command execution
- System administrators remotely managing VMware guests via VMware Tools vix API
- Enterprise deployment tools pushing configurations through VMware Tools channels
- Security agents operating within VMware guest VMs that trigger similar process patterns
Other platforms for CVE-2025-41244
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 3 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1VMware Tools Privilege Enumeration via vmtoolsd
Expected signal: DeviceProcessEvents showing schtasks.exe creating a task, followed by whoami.exe execution with SYSTEM context; Security Event 4672 (Special Logon for SYSTEM) and 4698 (Scheduled Task Created)
- Test 2Aria Operations Role Assignment via Unauthenticated or Low-Privilege API Call
Expected signal: VMware Aria Operations audit log entries recording the role assignment API call with the low-privilege token identity; HTTP 200 response on a vulnerable instance vs 403 on a patched instance
- Test 3VMware Tools Guest-to-Host Privilege Escalation Simulation
Expected signal: Linux auditd logs showing vmware-toolsd process activity and /dev/vmci access; VMware Tools log at /var/log/vmware-vmsvc-root.log recording guest operation invocations
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