CVE-2019-2548 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. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. 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:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2548 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects versions prior to 5.2.24 and 6.0.2. This vulnerability operates within the realm of virtualization technology where Oracle VM VirtualBox serves as a widely deployed hypervisor solution for enterprise and individual users. The flaw exists in the fundamental core processing mechanisms of the virtualization platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit system weaknesses and gain unauthorized control over the virtualization environment.
This vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-119, which encompasses weakness types related to memory safety issues, particularly those involving buffer overflows or memory corruption. The technical implementation flaw allows for privilege escalation within the virtualization environment where the attacker already possesses low-privileged access to the host infrastructure. The attack vector requires local access to the system where VirtualBox operates, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold on the host machine with minimal privileges before leveraging this vulnerability to achieve complete compromise of the virtualization platform.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-2548 extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to achieve complete takeover of the Oracle VM VirtualBox instance. This compromise affects all three fundamental security properties defined in the CVSS scoring: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The confidentiality impact is severe as attackers can access all virtual machine data, guest operating systems, and sensitive information processed within the virtualized environment. Integrity is compromised through potential modification of virtual machine configurations, guest operating systems, and underlying virtual disk images. Availability suffers as attackers can potentially disrupt or terminate virtual machine operations, leading to service interruption and system unavailability.
The CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.8 reflects the vulnerability's high severity and exploitable nature, with the attack complexity classified as low and the requirement for low privileges. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that attackers only need to establish a logon session on the host system, which is often achievable through various means including legitimate administrative access or social engineering attacks. The absence of user interaction requirements (UI:N) makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited automatically once the attacker gains access to the host infrastructure.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion. The vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations that rely heavily on virtualization technologies, as it provides attackers with a pathway to compromise entire virtualized environments. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, implementing network segmentation to limit access to virtualization hosts, and monitoring for unusual activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization platforms and implementing proper access controls to minimize the attack surface available to potential adversaries.