CVE-2017-3316 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: GUI). Supported versions that are affected are VirtualBox prior to 5.0.32 and prior to 5.1.14. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high privileged attacker with network access via multiple protocols to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and while the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS v3.0 Base Score 8.4 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3316 resides within the Oracle VM VirtualBox virtualization platform, specifically within its Graphical User Interface component. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that affects multiple versions of the virtualization software, with vulnerable configurations including VirtualBox versions prior to 5.0.32 and 5.1.14. The vulnerability operates at a fundamental level within the GUI subsystem, which serves as the primary interface for users to interact with virtual machines and manage virtual environments. The attack vector requires a high-privileged attacker who can leverage network-based access through multiple protocols, indicating that the vulnerability is not limited to a single communication channel but can be exploited across various network interfaces.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and potentially improper handling of user-supplied data within the VirtualBox GUI component. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, or CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array indices. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack requires minimal specialized knowledge or resources to execute successfully. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or user manipulation may be necessary to initiate the attack, potentially through phishing emails or malicious links that prompt users to perform actions within the virtualization environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-3316 extends beyond the immediate compromise of the VirtualBox application itself. Successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the Oracle VM VirtualBox environment, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to all virtual machines managed by the compromised system. This scenario creates a significant risk for organizations that rely heavily on virtualization technologies for their computing infrastructure, as the compromise of a single virtualization host can potentially lead to widespread access to multiple virtual environments. The CVSS v3.0 Base Score of 8.4 reflects the severity of the impact across all three core security principles, indicating that confidentiality, integrity, and availability have all been compromised. The attack's potential to significantly impact additional products suggests that the vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for further attacks against connected systems or applications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including the urgent deployment of patched versions of VirtualBox, specifically versions 5.0.32 or 5.1.14 and later. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit unnecessary network access to virtualization hosts, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. The implementation of user awareness training programs becomes crucial to prevent social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability, as the requirement for human interaction suggests that user behavior plays a significant role in successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous network activity or unauthorized access attempts to virtualization environments. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts of this type of vulnerability, particularly focusing on protocols that might be leveraged for network-based attacks against the VirtualBox GUI component. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and script interpreters, as exploitation might involve executing malicious code within the compromised virtualization environment. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all virtualization components remain up-to-date with the latest security patches and that no additional vulnerabilities exist within the virtualization infrastructure.