CVE-2018-3295 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-2018-3295 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.2.20. This vulnerability operates within the broader context of virtualization security where the integrity of the hypervisor becomes paramount to protecting the entire virtualized environment. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable condition that can be leveraged by attackers who already possess logon credentials to the host infrastructure where VirtualBox operates, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access might be compromised or where users have elevated privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the VirtualBox Core component, which allows malicious actors to craft specific inputs that can manipulate the virtualization layer's behavior. This weakness enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the VirtualBox environment, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-121 indicates a buffer overflow condition, where improper handling of memory allocation allows for memory corruption that can be exploited to gain control over the virtualization stack. The attack requires local access to the host system but does not necessitate authentication, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where physical access or session hijacking might occur.
From an operational impact perspective, successful exploitation of this vulnerability can result in complete takeover of the Oracle VM VirtualBox instance, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the VirtualBox process. The CVSS score of 8.6 reflects the high severity of this flaw, with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability across the entire virtualization environment. The vulnerability's potential to affect additional products through the cascading effects of compromised virtualization infrastructure means that a single exploited VirtualBox instance can serve as a foothold for broader attacks throughout the network. The requirement for human interaction from someone other than the attacker suggests that social engineering or session manipulation might be necessary to reach the vulnerable state, but once achieved, the impact is devastating.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3295 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected VirtualBox installations to version 5.2.20 or later, which addresses the underlying buffer overflow condition in the Core component. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege separation to minimize the risk of unauthorized local access to systems running VirtualBox. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around virtualization management interfaces. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage, as exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code within the compromised virtualization environment. Regular security assessments of virtualization infrastructure and mandatory patch management policies should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future, considering that this flaw represents a fundamental security weakness in the virtualization layer that could be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks.