CVE-2019-2679 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 5.2.28 and prior to 6.0.6. Easily exploitable 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 unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle VM VirtualBox and unauthorized read access to a subset of Oracle VM VirtualBox accessible data. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.3 (Confidentiality and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-2679 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that affects multiple versions of the virtualization platform. This vulnerability operates at the infrastructure level where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors who have already gained low-privileged access to the underlying system. The flaw manifests as an easily exploitable condition that can be leveraged by attackers with minimal privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where virtualization is extensively used. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate virtualization platform, potentially affecting other systems that rely on or interact with Oracle VM VirtualBox, demonstrating the interconnected nature of modern virtualized environments.
Technical exploitation of CVE-2019-2679 involves leveraging the low-privileged attacker's existing access to the host system where VirtualBox operates, allowing them to compromise the virtualization layer itself. The vulnerability's classification as a complete denial of service condition means that successful exploitation can result in either a hang or frequent crashes that completely disrupt the virtualization environment's functionality. Additionally, the flaw enables unauthorized read access to sensitive data within the VirtualBox accessible environment, creating potential information disclosure risks. This dual impact on availability and confidentiality aligns with the CVSS 3.0 base score of 7.3, reflecting the severity of the combined effects. The attack vector is classified as local access (AV:L) with low complexity requirements (AC:L) and low privilege requirements (PR:L), making it particularly accessible to attackers who have already established a foothold on the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly beyond the immediate virtualization environment, as compromised VirtualBox instances can serve as a launching point for broader attacks against connected systems and applications. Organizations that rely heavily on virtualization for their infrastructure may experience complete service disruption when this vulnerability is exploited, potentially affecting multiple virtual machines and their associated workloads simultaneously. The confidentiality impact, while rated as low (C:L), represents a serious concern as attackers can access sensitive data that may include virtual machine configurations, guest operating system information, or other potentially sensitive virtualization metadata. The availability impact is severe (A:H) as the vulnerability can cause complete system crashes that may require manual intervention to restore functionality, leading to significant operational downtime and potential business disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-2679 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Oracle VM VirtualBox installations, particularly targeting versions prior to 5.2.28 and 6.0.6. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to virtualization hosts and ensure that only authorized personnel have logon privileges to systems running VirtualBox. The principle of least privilege should be enforced across all virtualization environments, with regular audits of access controls and user permissions. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process crashes or abnormal data access patterns. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches across all virtualization platforms and highlights the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs that address both the primary software and its underlying infrastructure dependencies. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation and denial of service technique, while CWE classification indicates a weakness in the system's access control mechanisms and input validation processes, emphasizing the critical need for robust security controls at multiple layers of the virtualization stack.