CVE-2018-3005 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: Core). The supported version that is affected is Prior to 5.2.16. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 4.0 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-3005 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.2.16. This issue manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers who already possess login credentials to the host system where VirtualBox operates. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack vector requires minimal technical expertise or resources, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the host infrastructure. The CVSS 3.0 base score of 4.0 reflects the moderate severity level, with the primary impact categorized as availability disruption rather than confidentiality or integrity compromise. The attack vector AV:L indicates local access requirements, meaning an attacker must already have some level of system access before attempting exploitation, while the low access complexity AC:L suggests that the attack itself requires minimal technical knowledge or resources to execute successfully.
The technical flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core component stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized code execution or privilege escalation within the virtualization environment. This vulnerability specifically targets the way VirtualBox handles certain system calls or memory operations, potentially enabling an attacker to manipulate the virtualization layer in ways that were not intended by the software architects. The partial denial of service impact means that while complete system compromise may not be achievable through this specific vulnerability, attackers can disrupt normal operations and potentially render virtual machines unavailable or unstable. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation" and is commonly found in virtualization platforms where complex interactions between host and guest operating systems create numerous potential attack surfaces. The vulnerability's impact on availability (A:L) reflects the system's ability to maintain operational status, which is critical for virtualization environments where multiple virtual machines depend on stable underlying infrastructure.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3005 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a significant risk to virtualized environments that depend on Oracle VM VirtualBox for their operations. Organizations running affected versions of VirtualBox face potential downtime for virtual machines, which could cascade into broader business continuity issues, particularly in cloud environments or data centers where virtualization is fundamental to infrastructure delivery. The vulnerability's presence in the Core subcomponent makes it particularly concerning because this layer typically handles critical system functions and memory management operations. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially cause partial system instability, leading to unexpected virtual machine shutdowns, performance degradation, or resource exhaustion that affects other virtual machines running on the same host. This vulnerability also poses risks in multi-tenant environments where multiple customers share the same physical infrastructure, as it could potentially allow one user to affect others' virtual machines. The low privilege requirement PR:N indicates that no elevated privileges are needed to exploit this vulnerability, which means that even standard user accounts on the host system could potentially leverage this weakness.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3005 primarily focus on immediate patching and access control improvements. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to Oracle VM VirtualBox version 5.2.16 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional access controls, including limiting local access to VirtualBox installations and ensuring that only authorized personnel have login credentials to host systems. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service) suggests that exploitation might involve command execution or resource exhaustion attacks. Regular security audits should be conducted to verify that all VirtualBox installations are properly updated and that access controls are functioning as intended. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege for host system users and maintaining comprehensive logging of VirtualBox-related activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts and provide forensic evidence for incident response activities.