CVE-2018-3289 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-2018-3289 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 for virtualization environments. The attack vector requires an attacker to already have logon access to the underlying infrastructure, which typically means they possess legitimate credentials or have achieved some level of system access. The vulnerability's classification as easily exploitable indicates that the attack mechanics are straightforward and do not require sophisticated techniques or extensive preparation. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.6 reflects the high severity impact across all three core security principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows an attacker with minimal privileges to potentially compromise the entire VirtualBox installation through a specific code execution flaw within the Core component. This flaw enables an unauthenticated attacker who already has access to the system to escalate their privileges and gain full control over the virtualization environment. The requirement for human interaction from a person other than the attacker suggests that the vulnerability may involve a user-facing component or require some form of legitimate user activity to trigger the exploit. This aspect differentiates it from purely automated attacks and suggests that social engineering or legitimate user behavior might be necessary to achieve successful exploitation. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond just VirtualBox itself, potentially affecting additional products and systems within the broader virtualization ecosystem.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3289 is severe and multifaceted, as successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the Oracle VM VirtualBox environment. This compromise creates a persistent threat vector that could allow attackers to access all virtual machines managed by the vulnerable system, potentially leading to data breaches, system corruption, and complete loss of virtualization security. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts indicate that attackers could exfiltrate sensitive information, modify critical system data, and render the virtualization environment completely unusable. Organizations relying on VirtualBox for their virtualization needs face significant risk, as this vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of their virtualized environments. The vulnerability's potential to impact additional products aligns with the concept of supply chain attacks where a single flaw can compromise multiple interconnected systems.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-119, which addresses improper restriction of operations within a limited context, and may also relate to CWE-20, which covers insecure input handling. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged for privilege escalation and persistence techniques, potentially enabling attackers to establish long-term access to virtualized environments. The attack scenario aligns with techniques such as credential access and defense evasion, as attackers could use this vulnerability to maintain access while avoiding detection mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to Oracle VM VirtualBox version 5.2.20 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additional security measures should include monitoring for suspicious virtualization activities, implementing network segmentation around virtualization hosts, and conducting thorough security assessments of all virtualization environments to identify potential exploitation attempts.