CVE-2014-0406 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component in Oracle Virtualization VirtualBox prior to 3.2.20, 4.0.22, 4.1.30, 4.2.20, and 4.3.4 allows local users to affect integrity and availability via unknown vectors related to Core, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-0404.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0406 represents a significant security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core component that affected multiple version branches prior to specific patch releases. This unspecified vulnerability falls under the broader category of virtualization security concerns where the integrity and availability of the virtualization environment can be compromised through local user exploitation. The issue specifically impacts Oracle VirtualBox versions before 3.2.20, 4.0.22, 4.1.30, 4.2.20, and 4.3.4, indicating a widespread vulnerability affecting the core virtualization infrastructure that many organizations relied upon for their virtual machine operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from unspecified vectors related to the Core component of VirtualBox, which serves as the fundamental building block for virtual machine operations and system management. This core component handles critical functions including virtual machine execution, resource allocation, and system integration that are essential for proper virtualization functionality. The vulnerability's classification as affecting integrity and availability suggests that local attackers could potentially manipulate system data or disrupt service availability through exploitation of these core processes. The distinction from CVE-2014-0404 indicates that while both vulnerabilities affect the same product line, they target different aspects of the system architecture, making this a particularly concerning issue for organizations that depend on virtualization platforms for their computing infrastructure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a serious risk to organizations utilizing Oracle VirtualBox for their virtualization needs. Local users with access to the system could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the integrity of virtual machine configurations, potentially leading to data corruption or unauthorized modifications to virtual environments. The availability impact suggests that attackers might be able to disrupt virtual machine operations, causing service interruptions that could affect business continuity and operational efficiency. Organizations running multiple virtual machines on affected VirtualBox versions face heightened risk of system instability or complete service disruption, particularly in environments where virtualization is critical for infrastructure operations.
The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios, as it represents a fundamental flaw in the core virtualization architecture that could enable more sophisticated attacks when combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader threat landscape that includes various virtualization-specific attack surfaces. Organizations should prioritize patching efforts across all affected VirtualBox versions to ensure system integrity and availability. The vulnerability's location within the Core component means that remediation efforts must be comprehensive and validated through proper testing procedures to ensure that the patch does not introduce additional issues or compatibility problems with existing virtual environments. This type of vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization platforms and implementing proper security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE categories related to core component flaws and integrity violations, representing a classic example of how fundamental system components can present security risks that affect entire platforms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of privilege escalation or persistence tactics, particularly when combined with other local exploitation techniques. Organizations should implement proper access controls and monitoring to detect unauthorized local access that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of virtualization security in enterprise environments where multiple virtual machines may be running on a single host system, making proper patch management and security hardening essential defensive measures.