CVE-2018-2831 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 5.1.36 and Prior to 5.2.10. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low 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 read access to a subset of Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 3.8 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2831 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a significant security weakness that affects versions prior to 5.1.36 and 5.2.10. This flaw manifests as an easily exploitable issue that can be leveraged by attackers who already possess low-privileged access to the host infrastructure where VirtualBox operates. The vulnerability's classification as a local privilege escalation issue means that an attacker with minimal system access can potentially compromise the entire VirtualBox environment, making it particularly dangerous in multi-tenant or shared hosting scenarios.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the VirtualBox Core component, allowing unauthorized data access through mechanisms that should otherwise be restricted. The CVSS 3.0 score of 3.8 reflects the relatively low complexity required to exploit this weakness, with low attack complexity and low privilege requirements. The vulnerability's impact is specifically categorized as confidentiality-related, meaning that successful exploitation would enable attackers to read sensitive data within the VirtualBox environment without modifying system state or causing denial of service. The score reflects a local attack vector where the attacker must already have access to the system, but the low privilege requirement means that even basic user accounts could potentially exploit this weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2831 extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as the vulnerability can affect additional Oracle products that may interact with or depend on VirtualBox components. This cascading effect means that a compromise of the VirtualBox core could potentially lead to broader system infiltration, particularly in enterprise environments where VirtualBox might be used to host multiple virtual machines or applications. The confidentiality impact of CVSS score C:L indicates that attackers could access a subset of sensitive data, which might include virtual machine configurations, guest operating system information, or other potentially sensitive virtualization metadata.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) techniques, as exploitation would likely involve leveraging existing access to escalate privileges within the virtualization environment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) as the root cause involves inadequate access controls within the VirtualBox Core component. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected VirtualBox installations to address this weakness, as the low privilege requirements and easily exploitable nature make it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to compromise virtualized environments.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict access controls and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Regular security assessments of virtualization environments should include checks for outdated VirtualBox versions, and organizations should maintain comprehensive monitoring of system access logs to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a local attack vector means that network-based protections alone may not prevent exploitation, emphasizing the importance of host-based security measures and privileged access management. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing principle of least privilege controls to minimize the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to a system, they cannot easily escalate privileges to compromise the entire VirtualBox environment.