CVE-2020-2742 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are Prior to 5.2.36, prior to 6.0.16 and prior to 6.1.2. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows high 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 8.2 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2742 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's core component that affects multiple version streams including those prior to 5.2.36, 6.0.16, and 6.1.2. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as CWE-20, which encompasses improper input validation issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The flaw specifically resides in the virtualization layer where insufficient validation of user inputs allows for malicious manipulation of the underlying hypervisor operations. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 8.2 indicates a high-severity threat with attack vector requiring local access, low complexity, and high privileges, while the scope compromise score of 8.0 demonstrates the potential for cascading effects across multiple systems within the virtualized environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker with legitimate login credentials and administrative privileges on the host system where Oracle VM VirtualBox operates, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged accounts are compromised. The vulnerability enables attackers to achieve complete control over the virtualization platform through a privilege escalation attack that leverages the core component's failure to properly validate input parameters. This flaw can be categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' tactic. The compromised system can then be used as a launching point for further attacks against guest operating systems, network infrastructure, or other virtual machines within the same host environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond the immediate compromise of Oracle VM VirtualBox itself, as it creates a significant risk for organizations relying on virtualized infrastructure for their critical operations. Successful exploitation can result in complete takeover of the virtualization platform, allowing attackers to manipulate or extract data from all virtual machines running on that host system. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all rated as high, indicating that attackers can potentially access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or cause service disruptions that affect multiple virtual environments simultaneously. Organizations utilizing virtualized infrastructures face a substantial risk of data breaches, system downtime, and potential regulatory compliance violations when this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches from Oracle that address this vulnerability in all affected versions of Oracle VM VirtualBox. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, privileged access management, and enhanced monitoring of virtualization hosts to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization software and implementing robust security practices for privileged accounts. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in virtualization environments, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential exploitation of hypervisor-level vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing micro-segmentation strategies and privilege least-privilege principles to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their virtualized infrastructures.