CVE-2018-3091 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 unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 6.3 (Confidentiality impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3091 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a significant security weakness that affects versions prior to 5.2.16. This flaw operates within the broader context of virtualization security where the integrity of the hypervisor becomes paramount to protecting all virtualized environments. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with access to the underlying infrastructure where VirtualBox operates can potentially compromise the entire virtualization platform without requiring authentication credentials.
Technical analysis reveals that this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within VirtualBox's core processing functions, allowing malicious input to be executed within the virtualization environment. The attack vector requires local access to the system where VirtualBox is running, meaning an attacker must already have login credentials or physical access to the host machine. However, the severity escalates significantly when considering that successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to all data accessible through VirtualBox, including virtual machine configurations, guest operating system files, and potentially sensitive information stored within virtualized environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3091 extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as demonstrated by the CVSS score of 6.3 which indicates high confidentiality impact. This vulnerability operates under the ATT&CK framework category of privilege escalation and credential access, where an attacker can leverage local access to gain broader system control. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or physical access scenarios could facilitate exploitation, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where physical security controls may be insufficient.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow or wraparound conditions, indicating that the flaw likely involves improper handling of data size calculations or buffer management within VirtualBox's core components. Organizations running affected versions face substantial risk of data breaches, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to extract confidential information from virtual machines or potentially gain complete control over the host system. The CVSS vector analysis shows that while the attack requires local access (AV:L) and low complexity (AC:L), the potential for significant confidentiality impact (C:H) makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-tenant or enterprise virtualization environments.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to update VirtualBox to version 5.2.16 or later, which addresses the underlying input validation issues. Additionally, organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring for systems running VirtualBox, as well as consider network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability's impact on additional products underscores the importance of comprehensive vulnerability management programs that consider the interconnected nature of virtualized environments and their dependencies on underlying host systems. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify other potential entry points that could be exploited in conjunction with this vulnerability, particularly focusing on the broader attack surface created by virtualization technologies.