CVE-2018-3086 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 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 • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3086 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.2.16. This vulnerability operates within the realm of virtualization technology where Oracle VM VirtualBox serves as a widely deployed hypervisor platform. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable condition that enables unauthorized access to the virtualization environment, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the entire VirtualBox execution infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that minimal technical expertise or resources are required to leverage the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where virtual machines are extensively utilized.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in the core processing mechanisms of Oracle VM VirtualBox that allows for unauthorized access when an attacker has logon credentials to the underlying infrastructure hosting the virtualization platform. The attack vector requires local access to the system where VirtualBox operates, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold on the host machine before exploiting this specific vulnerability. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 8.6 reflects the severity of impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H indicating that local access is required, the attack is straightforward to execute, no authentication is needed, human interaction is required, the scope extends beyond the vulnerable component, and the impact on all three security properties is high. This vulnerability specifically targets the core functionality that manages virtual machine execution and resource allocation within the VirtualBox environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3086 extends far beyond the immediate compromise of the VirtualBox platform itself, as successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the virtualization environment. This compromise enables attackers to potentially access all virtual machines hosted on the affected system, including any sensitive data, applications, or operating systems running within those virtual environments. The vulnerability's potential to impact additional products stems from the interconnected nature of virtualized environments where compromised VirtualBox instances can serve as entry points for further attacks against the broader network infrastructure. Organizations utilizing VirtualBox for development, testing, or production environments face significant risk, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges, access confidential data, modify system configurations, or disrupt services across multiple virtual machines simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3086 primarily focus on immediate remediation through patching to version 5.2.16 or later, which addresses the core flaw in the VirtualBox Core component. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected VirtualBox installations across their infrastructure, particularly those running on systems with local administrative access. Additional protective measures include implementing strict access controls on systems hosting VirtualBox instances, ensuring that only authorized personnel have local login credentials, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts or unusual activity patterns. The vulnerability's classification under CWE 119 (Improper Access Control) and its alignment with ATT&CK technique T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) highlight the importance of layered security approaches that include network segmentation, host-based intrusion detection systems, and regular security assessments of virtualization environments. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and maintaining detailed audit logs to detect potential exploitation attempts. Given the vulnerability's potential for significant impact across multiple systems, security teams should conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify all affected VirtualBox installations and prioritize remediation efforts based on the criticality of the hosted virtual environments.