CVE-2018-2860 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 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 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:H/UI:N/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-2018-2860 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects multiple versions of the virtualization platform. This vulnerability operates at a foundational level within the virtualization infrastructure, creating potential entry points for malicious actors who already possess high-privileged access to the underlying physical systems where VirtualBox operates. The affected versions include all releases prior to 5.1.36 and 5.2.10, indicating a substantial portion of the user base remained exposed to this risk. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable underscores the severity of the threat, as it requires minimal effort for attackers to leverage existing privileges for system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and potentially improper memory handling within the VirtualBox Core component, which processes virtual machine operations and manages guest operating system interactions. This flaw allows an attacker with local high-privileged access to execute malicious code that can manipulate the core virtualization functions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as successful exploitation can affect interconnected systems and applications that depend on the virtualization infrastructure, creating cascading security implications. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.2 reflects the high severity across all impact vectors, with scores of 8.0 for confidentiality, integrity, and availability, indicating that a successful attack could result in complete system takeover.
The operational implications of CVE-2018-2860 are particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely heavily on virtualization technologies, as it provides attackers with a pathway to escalate privileges and potentially access sensitive data or compromise entire virtualized infrastructures. Organizations using older VirtualBox versions face significant risk of data breaches, system downtime, and potential regulatory compliance violations, especially in sectors with strict security requirements such as financial services, healthcare, or government agencies. The attack vector requiring only local high-privileged access means that insider threats or compromised accounts with elevated permissions could exploit this vulnerability, making detection and prevention more challenging. The security impact extends to the broader IT ecosystem, as compromised virtualization platforms can serve as launch points for attacks on other connected systems and applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected VirtualBox installations to versions 5.1.36 or 5.2.10 and later, which contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of compromised systems, ensuring that even if one virtual machine is compromised, lateral movement remains restricted. Regular vulnerability assessments and security monitoring should be conducted to identify any remaining unpatched systems within the organization's infrastructure. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and conducting regular security audits of virtualization environments can help reduce the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-122 (Heap Overflow) and CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) categories, and represents a technique commonly associated with privilege escalation attacks in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the privilege escalation and persistence domains.