CVE-2020-2908 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 5.2.40, prior to 6.0.20 and prior to 6.1.6. 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 • 05/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-2908 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's core component that affects multiple version lines including those prior to 5.2.40, 6.0.20, and 6.1.6. This vulnerability operates at a fundamental level within the virtualization infrastructure, creating a pathway for attackers who already possess legitimate access to the host system to escalate their privileges and gain complete control over the virtualization environment. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.2 indicates a high-severity threat that can compromise all three core security principles: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector requires local access with high privileges, meaning an attacker must first establish a foothold on the system before exploiting this weakness.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls and privilege management within Oracle VM VirtualBox's internal architecture, allowing a compromised user with elevated system privileges to manipulate core virtualization functions. This flaw enables what is known as a privilege escalation attack pattern that aligns with CWE-269, which specifically addresses inadequate privilege management in software systems. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate virtualization environment, as it can potentially affect interconnected systems and applications that rely on the compromised virtual machine infrastructure. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code within the virtualization layer, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational implications of CVE-2020-2908 are particularly severe for organizations that depend heavily on virtualized environments for their computing infrastructure. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they gain the ability to fully compromise the Oracle VM VirtualBox instance, potentially allowing them to access all virtual machines hosted on that system. This creates cascading security risks where a single compromised host can lead to widespread data breaches across multiple virtual environments. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely fall under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Local Privilege Escalation' and 'Virtualization and Container Escalation' tactics. Organizations using virtualized infrastructure are particularly vulnerable because this attack can bypass traditional network security controls and directly target the hypervisor layer.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected Oracle VM VirtualBox installations to versions that address the privilege escalation flaw. System administrators should implement comprehensive access control policies that limit local administrative privileges and regularly audit system permissions to prevent unauthorized access to virtualization infrastructure. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced across all systems running virtualization software, ensuring that only authorized personnel have the necessary elevated permissions to manage virtual environments. Organizations should also consider deploying additional monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous behavior within virtualization environments, as this vulnerability may not be immediately apparent through standard security scanning tools. Regular security assessments of virtualization infrastructure should be conducted to identify and remediate similar privilege-related vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity of the entire virtualized computing environment.