CVE-2019-2520 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: Core). Supported versions that are affected are prior to 5.2.24 and prior to 6.0.2. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. 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 7.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2520 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects organizations utilizing virtualization technology. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 5.2.24 and 6.0.2, making it particularly concerning for enterprises that have not yet applied the necessary security patches. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while it requires specific conditions to be successfully leveraged, the potential impact makes it a serious concern for security professionals. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.8 reflects the severity of the issue, with high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability domains, suggesting that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and potentially improper access controls within the VirtualBox Core component, which serves as the foundation for virtual machine operations. Attackers with low-privileged access to the host system where VirtualBox executes can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges and gain complete control over the virtualization environment. This scenario represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where an attacker who has already established a foothold on the system can use this flaw to move laterally and assume full administrative control. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond just VirtualBox itself, as successful exploitation can compromise additional products that rely on or interact with the virtualization infrastructure, creating cascading security risks throughout the enterprise environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2520 is significant for organizations that depend on virtualized environments, as it allows attackers to potentially compromise multiple virtual machines and their underlying data. This vulnerability creates a substantial risk for data breaches, system downtime, and unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within virtual environments. The CVSS vector indicates that the attack requires local access with low privileges and does not require user interaction, making it particularly dangerous because it can be exploited by insiders or attackers who have already gained initial access to the host system. The availability impact is particularly severe as attackers could potentially disrupt critical business operations by taking down virtual machines or the entire virtualization platform.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Oracle VM VirtualBox versions 5.2.24 or 6.0.2, which contain the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Security teams should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities, ensuring that even if an attacker gains access to the host system, they cannot easily exploit this flaw. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which covers "Improper Input Validation," and represents a specific instance of how inadequate security controls in virtualization platforms can be exploited to gain unauthorized access. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence within virtualized environments, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on virtualization for their computing infrastructure. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other virtualization platforms and ensure comprehensive protection across the enterprise.