CVE-2018-2835 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. 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 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-2835 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects multiple versions of the virtualization platform. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in virtualized environments where privilege separation is crucial. The flaw enables a low-privileged attacker who has already gained logon access to the host infrastructure where VirtualBox operates to compromise the virtualization software itself, creating a significant escalation path for malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within VirtualBox's core functionality, allowing unauthorized users to exploit the system through a combination of local privileges and human interaction requirements. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 8.2 reflects the high severity impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H indicating that local access is required, the attack is easily exploitable, requires low privileges, necessitates human interaction, and can cause catastrophic impacts across all security dimensions. This vulnerability specifically targets the fundamental security model of VirtualBox, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over the virtualization environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-2835 extends far beyond the immediate compromise of VirtualBox itself, as successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the virtualization platform and potentially affect all virtual machines running on the compromised system. This vulnerability represents a significant threat to organizations relying on VirtualBox for their virtualization needs, as it provides a pathway for attackers to move laterally within virtualized environments and potentially access sensitive data across multiple virtual machines. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or targeted attacks may be necessary to initiate the exploitation process, but once initiated, the attack can have devastating consequences.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to VirtualBox versions 5.1.36 or later, or 5.2.10 or later, as these releases contain the necessary patches to address the access control weakness. System administrators should also enforce strict access controls on host systems where VirtualBox operates, limiting local user privileges and implementing proper monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068 suggests that organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any potential exploitation attempts or related vulnerabilities that might compound the risks associated with this flaw.