CVE-2018-3287 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 5.2.20. 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 • 05/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3287 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.2.20. This vulnerability operates at the infrastructure level where VirtualBox executes, making it particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to compromise the virtualization environment without requiring authentication. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 8.6 indicates a high severity rating with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of potential damage. The attack vector requires local access to the infrastructure and human interaction from users other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or insider threats may play a role in exploitation scenarios.
The technical flaw manifests in how Oracle VM VirtualBox handles certain input processing within its core components, creating opportunities for privilege escalation and system compromise. This vulnerability falls under the CWE category of improper input validation, specifically related to insufficient checks on user-supplied data that could lead to arbitrary code execution. The attack requires an attacker to have logon access to the system where VirtualBox operates, but once achieved, the attacker can leverage this vulnerability to take complete control of the virtualization environment. The requirement for human interaction suggests that the exploitation may involve phishing or other social engineering tactics that trick legitimate users into performing actions that facilitate the attack.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3287 extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, potentially affecting additional products and systems that rely on or interact with the compromised virtualization infrastructure. This cascading effect aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence, where initial access through the vulnerable VirtualBox component can enable attackers to establish long-term presence within the network. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts indicate that successful exploitation could result in complete system takeover, allowing attackers to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or disrupt critical services. Organizations running affected VirtualBox versions face significant risk of data breaches and system compromise, particularly in environments where virtualization is extensively used for hosting critical applications.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of VirtualBox installations to version 5.2.20 or later, which addresses the core vulnerability in the Core subcomponent. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to VirtualBox infrastructure and reduce the attack surface. Additional protective measures include regular security auditing of virtualization environments, implementation of strict access controls, and monitoring for unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable emphasizes the urgency for organizations to assess their VirtualBox deployments and ensure all systems are updated to prevent potential compromise. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for indicators of VirtualBox exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive incident response procedures for handling potential compromise scenarios.