CVE-2020-2958 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. Difficult to exploit 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 7.5 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/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-2020-2958 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's core component, representing a significant security flaw that affects multiple version branches including those prior to 5.2.40, 6.0.20, and 6.1.6. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-20, which encompasses weaknesses that arise from inadequate input validation, specifically manifesting as improper handling of input data within the virtualization environment. The attack vector requires a high-privileged attacker who already possesses legitimate access to the infrastructure hosting the VirtualBox instance, making this a targeted threat rather than a broadly exploitable weakness.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within VirtualBox's core processing functions, allowing malicious actors with elevated privileges to manipulate the virtualization layer in ways that could lead to complete system compromise. The CVSS 3.0 scoring of 7.5 indicates a high-severity issue with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability, reflecting the potential for attackers to gain full control over the virtualization environment. The attack complexity is rated as high due to the requirement for existing system access, while the privilege requirement is also high, indicating that unauthorized users cannot exploit this vulnerability without first establishing a foothold within the target infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate VirtualBox environment, as noted in the description suggesting that successful exploitation can significantly affect additional products within the virtualization ecosystem. This cascading effect aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1059, which involves the use of command and scripting interpreters to gain access and execute malicious code. The compromise of VirtualBox can provide attackers with a powerful foothold from which they can escalate privileges and potentially access other virtual machines or systems within the same infrastructure, creating a potential domino effect across virtualized environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including prompt patching of all affected VirtualBox versions to the latest supported releases, along with comprehensive monitoring of system access logs for any unauthorized activities. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege access controls should be reinforced to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a privilege escalation issue makes it particularly dangerous in environments where virtualization platforms host multiple tenants or sensitive workloads, as a successful attack could potentially allow an attacker to move laterally across virtual machines or compromise entire virtualized infrastructures. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their virtualization environments and implement robust audit trails to detect any suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts.