CVE-2018-2690 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: Core). Supported versions that are affected are Prior to 5.1.32 and Prior to 5.2.6. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes 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 3.0 Base Score 8.6 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2690 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core component that affects multiple versions prior to 5.1.32 and 5.2.6. This vulnerability resides in the Oracle Virtualization suite and demonstrates how flaws in virtualization software can create severe attack vectors for malicious actors. The issue is classified as easily exploitable, meaning that an attacker with access to the underlying infrastructure where VirtualBox operates can leverage this weakness without requiring authentication. The attack requires minimal privileges from the attacker's perspective, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical or administrative access might be compromised.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the VirtualBox Core component, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. When an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they can achieve complete compromise of the VirtualBox environment, potentially leading to unauthorized access to virtual machines and their associated data. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.6 reflects the high severity of this vulnerability, with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector AV:L indicates local access requirements, while the low attack complexity AC:L suggests that exploitation does not require specialized skills or resources. The requirement for user interaction UI:R implies that while the attacker doesn't need to be authenticated, some form of human involvement in the attack process is necessary.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2690 extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as successful exploitation can affect additional products and systems within the broader infrastructure. This cascading effect aligns with ATT&CK framework concepts related to privilege escalation and lateral movement, where initial compromise can lead to broader system infiltration. Organizations utilizing VirtualBox for virtualization purposes face significant risks including data breaches, system compromise, and potential disruption of business operations. The vulnerability's potential to enable complete takeover of VirtualBox systems makes it particularly concerning for enterprises that rely heavily on virtualized environments for their computing infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and updating of affected VirtualBox installations to versions 5.1.32 or later, and 5.2.6 or later respectively. System administrators should prioritize updating their VirtualBox installations and conduct thorough security assessments of their virtualization environments. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to VirtualBox hosts, enforcing strict access controls, and monitoring for suspicious activities around virtualization infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing security monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior in virtualized environments, as the vulnerability's exploitation may not always be immediately apparent. The weakness described here corresponds to CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation flaws can create major security implications in virtualization platforms. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other virtualization components and related software systems.