The cybersecurity landscape for industrial control systems has once again shifted, with recent advisories drawing sharp attention to vulnerabilities in Rockwell Automation solutions utilizing VMware technologies. These vulnerabilities hover near the top of the risk spectrum, with multiple CVEs receiving critical or near-critical scores under both CVSS v3.1 and the latest CVSS v4 frameworks. As industries across the globe depend ever more heavily on virtualized infrastructure, the implications for critical manufacturing organizations, and indeed, for any enterprise using these combinations, cannot be understated.
Rockwell Automation is no minor player in the world of industrial control systems (ICS). Its portfolio—including the Industrial Data Center (IDC) with VMware, VersaVirtual Appliance (VVA) with VMware, Threat Detection Managed Services (TDMS) with VMware, and others—serves as foundational infrastructure for critical manufacturing processes worldwide. These solutions blend the reliability and manageability of VMware’s virtualization technology with the industrial knowledge and security overlays of Rockwell Automation, supporting everything from routine production to sophisticated threat detection.
Yet this very dependency on VMware has opened the door to a cluster of high-severity vulnerabilities capable of undermining the security fabric of otherwise well-fortified environments.
CISA notes that public exploitation remains low for now, but the low attack complexity—meaning no sophisticated evasion or chaining required—makes “if” not “when” the operative word. In environments where skilled attackers can bridge the gap from remote intrusion to local privilege escalation, these vulnerabilities provide a direct route to control system compromise, data theft, and operational disruption.
Geographically, the presence of affected deployments spans continents, with the company’s headquarters in the United States but its footprint reaching everywhere industrial automation is needed. Industrial espionage, nation-state attacks, and cybercriminal pursuits now have another potential vector.
CISA’s recommended defense strategies echo long-standing ICS protection wisdom but are far from outdated:
VMware’s continued diligence (including prompt CVE enumeration and patch cycles) and Broadcom’s advisory support reflect an industry increasingly aware that ICS security demands not just technical fixes but also tightly synchronized communication.
Yet, the story is not solely one of risk, but also of progress and partnership. The transparent disclosure process, combined with actionable guidance from both Rockwell Automation and CISA, forms a template for responsible stewardship of industrial technology. As always, the challenge for enterprises will be to convert awareness into action, fortifying not only the machines that power production, but also the collaborative defenses that protect our digital and physical infrastructures alike.
In the wake of these vulnerabilities, a new baseline for vigilance, partnership, and proactive defense in the ICS community is both a necessity and, increasingly, a reality.
Source: www.cisa.gov Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services with VMware | CISA
Rockwell Automation and Its VMware Dependency: The Heart of Industrial Operations
Rockwell Automation is no minor player in the world of industrial control systems (ICS). Its portfolio—including the Industrial Data Center (IDC) with VMware, VersaVirtual Appliance (VVA) with VMware, Threat Detection Managed Services (TDMS) with VMware, and others—serves as foundational infrastructure for critical manufacturing processes worldwide. These solutions blend the reliability and manageability of VMware’s virtualization technology with the industrial knowledge and security overlays of Rockwell Automation, supporting everything from routine production to sophisticated threat detection.Yet this very dependency on VMware has opened the door to a cluster of high-severity vulnerabilities capable of undermining the security fabric of otherwise well-fortified environments.
Dissecting the Vulnerabilities: A Technical Deep Dive
The Trio of Threats: TOCTOU, Write-what-where, and Out-of-bounds Read
The vulnerabilities spotlighted by Rockwell Automation and subsequently reported to CISA consist of several well-known, potent classes of security flaws:- Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
Assigned CVE-2025-22224, this bug arises from a gap—literally in time—between the validation and use of certain resources. If an attacker manages to slip a malicious change between the check and use, they can escalate local privileges and execute code as the powerful VMX process. This isn’t just a theoretical risk: both a 9.3 CVSS v3.1 and a 9.4 CVSS v4 score reflect a vulnerability that’s straightforward to exploit locally and could result in complete custom code execution at the virtualization layer. - Write-What-Where Condition
Totem of many a virtualization escape, this vulnerability (CVE-2025-22225) gives a threat actor with VMX process privileges the ability to write to arbitrary kernel memory. Such control opens the gates to sandbox escapes—a nightmare scenario for environments relying on VM separation to contain threats. Again, CVSS base scores hover around 8.2 (v3.1) and leap to 9.3 (v4), underscoring the increased risk as evaluated under newer frameworks. - Out-of-bounds Read
With CVE-2025-22226, attackers possessing administrative rights could siphon memory from the VMX process—an opportunity for data leakage and reconnaissance ahead of further attacks. The 7.1 (v3.1) and 8.2 (v4) scores hint at serious, if less catastrophic, consequences when compared to the code execution vulnerabilities above.
The Affected Landscape
These vulnerabilities span generations and series of Rockwell Automation products:- IDC with VMware (Generations 1 through 4)
- VersaVirtual Appliance (Series A and B)
- TDMS with VMware (all versions)
- Endpoint Protection Service with RA Proxy & VMware (all versions)
- Engineered and Integrated Solutions with VMware (all versions)
Risk Reality: Local Exploitation and Threat Landscape
Perhaps the silver lining is that exploitation of these vulnerabilities is restricted: attackers require local administrative privileges on the host or relevant VM. That said, in multi-tenant environments, the gap between an improperly secured remote session and “local” access has proven time and again to be alarmingly short, especially in industrial networks where legacy protocols and “flat” segments persist.CISA notes that public exploitation remains low for now, but the low attack complexity—meaning no sophisticated evasion or chaining required—makes “if” not “when” the operative word. In environments where skilled attackers can bridge the gap from remote intrusion to local privilege escalation, these vulnerabilities provide a direct route to control system compromise, data theft, and operational disruption.
Global Impact: Critical Manufacturing at Risk
Critical manufacturing is the backbone of both national economies and global supply chains. From automotive assembly lines to pharmaceuticals, these systems are the unseen gears of progress and stability. The fact that Rockwell Automation solutions are so widely adopted across regions further magnifies the risk profile. Malicious insiders, supply chain threats, or simply determined attackers piggybacking on a third-party breach could wreak havoc with these vulnerabilities.Geographically, the presence of affected deployments spans continents, with the company’s headquarters in the United States but its footprint reaching everywhere industrial automation is needed. Industrial espionage, nation-state attacks, and cybercriminal pursuits now have another potential vector.
Industry Response: Mitigation Moves and the Role of CISA
Vendor-Driven Remediation and Best Practices
Rockwell Automation has taken a proactive stance by directly reaching out to impacted users, advising on tailored remediation steps. However, a dichotomy emerges for those operating without a managed services contract: the onus falls on users to follow advisories issued by Broadcom (now VMware’s parent company), and to remain vigilant in their patching and hardening efforts.CISA’s recommended defense strategies echo long-standing ICS protection wisdom but are far from outdated:
- Network Segmentation: Keep control system devices off the internet. If remote connectivity is required, safeguard it with well-managed VPNs—though, as CISA is quick to note, VPNs themselves aren’t panaceas and require constant vigilance and up-to-date patching.
- Firewalls and Isolation: Placing control system networks behind strict firewalls continues to provide a basic, yet highly effective, layer of defense.
- Layered Defense (“Defense in Depth”): Employing multiple, redundant security mechanisms—monitoring, detection, and rapid response—to mitigate the unwelcome truth that no single control can prevent all attacks.
- Education and Social Engineering Awareness: The path to local privilege often begins elsewhere—phishing, credential theft, or social engineering. CISA emphasizes ongoing awareness training and disciplined email/web hygiene.
Recommended Reading and Further Guidance
CISA’s guidance is not limited to the abstract. Their technical information papers and resource-rich ICS cybersecurity library provide actionable playbooks. Documents like “Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies” and “Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies” form the backbone of effective ICS resilience. Organizations are strongly encouraged to regularly audit their own practices against these evolving standards.The Hidden Risks: Beyond the CVSS Scores
While CVSS scores help headline the urgency, several subtler, context-specific risks also warrant attention.The “Silent Breach” Problem
Especially with memory leak vulnerabilities (like the out-of-bounds read), attackers might quietly exfiltrate sensitive data—passwords, encryption keys, internal IP mappings—without triggering obvious operational alarms. In such cases, damage accrues slowly, culminating in wider campaigns or more sophisticated future incursions.The Patch Dilemma
For critical manufacturing, “just patch” is rarely so simple. Downtime for upgrades or hotfixes may translate directly to lost revenue or, worse, safety risks. Many organizations rely on highly customized deployments, increasing friction when applying vendor-recommended updates. This creates windows—sometimes months long—where systems remain exposed, even as mitigations are publicly known.The Upstream Challenge: Shared Responsibility
It’s worth noting that with the increasing intertwining of third-party components—Rockwell on VMware, VMware on Broadcom—the patch/remediate/accountability chain becomes lengthier and sometimes less clear. Each party’s pace and communication style directly impacts the end-customer’s ability to stay secure.Notable Strengths: Transparency and Industry Collaboration
Amidst the risk, there are rays of hope. Rockwell Automation’s direct engagement with users, and their willingness to coordinate disclosures with CISA, demonstrates a matured, post-incident response ethos. Moreover, the robust network of information sharing—through advisories, best practice papers, and real-time threat intelligence—enables faster, better-informed decision-making for those responsible for critical infrastructure.VMware’s continued diligence (including prompt CVE enumeration and patch cycles) and Broadcom’s advisory support reflect an industry increasingly aware that ICS security demands not just technical fixes but also tightly synchronized communication.
Strategic Recommendations for Enterprises
Given the spectrum of risks and the practical hurdles to rapid remediation, organizations relying on Rockwell Automation and VMware should adopt a layered, phased approach:1. Immediate Containment and Audit
Review all systems for unexpected local administrative account elevation or lateral movement. Cross-check software/firmware levels against the advisory and apply patches or compensating controls wherever feasible. Temporarily elevate monitoring/logging sensitivity for VMX process anomalies.2. Medium-term Segmentation and Hardening
Where patching is not immediately possible, enforce stricter network segmentation. Employ network-level and host-level firewalls to confine ICS systems. Implement application whitelisting and privilege escalation controls for all local users and administrators. Strengthen remote access controls (multi-factor authentication, jump boxes) to reduce opportunities for local exploitation.3. Long-term Resilience and Recovery Planning
Integrate continuous vulnerability management into routine operations. Regularly test incident response and recovery plans for relevant scenarios, including one where a virtual infrastructure escape happens. Maintain ongoing relationships not only with primary vendors but also upstream component suppliers (VMware/Broadcom), staying informed as advisories and patches evolve.Conclusion: A New Baseline for ICS Security Vigilance
The vulnerabilities detailed in Rockwell Automation’s VMware-powered platforms are sobering reminders of the persistent, evolving threats facing critical manufacturing and other industrial sectors. What sets this round of advisories apart is not merely the high CVSS scores, but the scope, complexity, and potential impact of exploitation—even if only locally for now.Yet, the story is not solely one of risk, but also of progress and partnership. The transparent disclosure process, combined with actionable guidance from both Rockwell Automation and CISA, forms a template for responsible stewardship of industrial technology. As always, the challenge for enterprises will be to convert awareness into action, fortifying not only the machines that power production, but also the collaborative defenses that protect our digital and physical infrastructures alike.
In the wake of these vulnerabilities, a new baseline for vigilance, partnership, and proactive defense in the ICS community is both a necessity and, increasingly, a reality.
Source: www.cisa.gov Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services with VMware | CISA
