Critical Security Update: open-vm-tools Patch Fixes CVE-2025-22247 Vulnerability

 

SUSE releases critical open-vm-tools 12.5.2 update patching CVE-2025-22247 (CVSS 6.9), a file-handling vulnerability affecting Linux Enterprise 15 SP7. Learn installation steps, enterprise risks, and security best practices for VMware environments

SUSE Linux Enterprise Systems Receive Moderate-Risk Update

Key Security Update Overview

SUSE has released a moderate-risk security patch (SUSE-SU-2025:01565-1) for open-vm-tools 12.5.2, addressing CVE-2025-22247, a critical insecure file handling vulnerability with a CVSS score of 6.9 (v4.0). This update also includes stability fixes for GCC 15 compilation and containerd 1.7.25+ compatibility.

Affected Products

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15 SP7

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7

• Basesystem, Containers, and Desktop Applications Modules

• SUSE Real Time & SAP Applications Servers

🔴 Why This Matters for Enterprises: Unpatched VMware tools can expose virtualized environments to privilege escalation and data integrity risks.

---

Detailed Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-22247: Security Risk & Mitigation

• Threat: Local attackers could exploit improper file permissions in VM guest operations.

• CVSS Breakdown:

  • SUSE v4.0: 6.9 (High Integrity Impact, Low Confidentiality)

  • NVD v3.1: 6.1 (Medium Risk)

• Fix: Update to open-vm-tools 12.5.2 to prevent exploitation.

Additional Fixes Included

✔ GCC 15 compatibility (bsc#1241938)
✔ containerd 1.7.25+ build support (bsc#1237147)

---

How to Install the Update

Recommended Methods

1. YaST Online Update (GUI)

2. Command Line:

   bash

   Copy

   Download

   zypper patch

   OR product-specific commands:

   • Basesystem Module:

     bash

     Copy

     Download

     zypper in -t patch SUSE-SLE-Module-Basesystem-15-SP7-2025-1565=1

Full Package List

Module	Updated Packages
Basesystem	open-vm-tools, libvmtools0, debug packages
Containers	open-vm-tools-containerinfo
Desktop Applications	open-vm-tools-desktop

---

Enterprise Implications & Best Practices

✅ Virtualization Security: Regular VMware tools updates are critical for hypervisor security.

✅ Compliance: Patches align with CIS Benchmarks for Linux hardening.

✅ DevOps Impact: Ensure CI/CD pipelines test new versions before deployment.

📌 Pro Tip: Pair this update with a vulnerability scan using tools like Tenable Nessus or Qualys VMDR.