CVE-2017-10392 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: Core). The supported version that is affected is Prior to 5.1.30. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle VM VirtualBox as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data and unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.3 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10392 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core component, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.1.30. This vulnerability operates within the broader context of virtualization security where the integrity of the hypervisor directly impacts the security posture of all virtual machines hosted on that platform. The flaw specifically targets the Oracle VM VirtualBox component that manages core virtualization functions, making it particularly dangerous as it sits at the heart of the virtualization infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with legitimate access to the host system can leverage this weakness to compromise the virtualization environment with minimal effort.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and potential memory corruption issues within the VirtualBox Core subsystem. Attackers with high privileged access can manipulate the system to trigger a denial of service condition that results in complete system crashes or hangs within the VirtualBox environment. The flaw also enables unauthorized modification of data within the virtualization platform, allowing attackers to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, or deletions of critical system information. Additionally, the vulnerability permits unauthorized read access to sensitive data that the virtualization platform can access, potentially exposing confidential information stored within or accessible through the virtualized environment. This multi-faceted impact aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in virtualization software due to complex memory management requirements.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-10392 extends far beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as the compromise of the hypervisor creates cascading security effects throughout the entire virtualized infrastructure. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can potentially gain complete control over all virtual machines running on the compromised host, effectively bypassing traditional network security controls that typically protect individual VMs. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.3 reflects the severity of this vulnerability, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts that align with the ATT&CK technique T1059 for command execution and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations using VirtualBox in production environments face significant risk as this vulnerability allows attackers to maintain persistent access to the virtualization infrastructure while potentially moving laterally to other systems within the network that depend on the compromised virtual environment.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires only high privileged access to the host system where VirtualBox operates, making it particularly concerning for environments where administrative credentials are frequently used or where there are insufficient separation controls between different privilege levels. The vulnerability's impact on availability is particularly severe as it can cause complete system crashes that prevent normal operation of the virtualization platform, potentially affecting business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to VirtualBox version 5.1.30 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls for the host system, monitoring for unusual system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, and maintaining comprehensive backups of virtual environments to ensure rapid recovery in case of successful attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping virtualization software updated and the need for robust security controls at all levels of the virtualized infrastructure stack.