CVE-2019-2526 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-2019-2526 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent that affects versions prior to 5.2.24 and 6.0.2. This vulnerability operates at the infrastructure level where VirtualBox executes, making it particularly dangerous as it requires only low-privilege access to the host system to exploit. The attack vector is classified as local access with high complexity, meaning an attacker must already have some level of access to the host machine to initiate exploitation. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.8 indicates a high severity threat that can simultaneously compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-provided data within the VirtualBox Core component. When an attacker with local access can manipulate specific inputs or parameters, they may be able to execute arbitrary code within the VirtualBox environment. This flaw falls under the CWE classification of CWE-121, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or potentially CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflow, though the exact technical implementation requires deeper analysis of the specific memory corruption mechanism. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond just the VirtualBox application itself, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and potentially affect other virtualized environments or host systems that share resources with the vulnerable VirtualBox instance.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2526 is substantial as it allows attackers to gain complete control over the VirtualBox execution environment, potentially enabling them to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or even use the compromised VirtualBox instance as a launchpad for further attacks on the broader network infrastructure. The security implications are particularly severe because VirtualBox installations often run with elevated privileges and may have access to sensitive virtual machine data, making this vulnerability a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to enterprise environments. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2526 primarily involve immediate patching of affected VirtualBox installations to versions 5.2.24 or 6.0.2 and later. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to systems running VirtualBox, ensuring that only authorized personnel have local access to these environments. Additional protective measures include monitoring for unusual VirtualBox process behavior, implementing strict access controls for host systems, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments of virtualization environments. System administrators should also consider isolating virtual machines from each other and from the host system through proper network configuration and resource allocation to minimize the potential impact if exploitation occurs. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization software and implementing comprehensive security controls around virtual environments that often serve as critical infrastructure components in enterprise networks.