CVE-2023-21987 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are Prior to 6.1.44 and Prior to 7.0.8. Difficult to exploit 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 (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-21987 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle VM VirtualBox's core component, affecting versions prior to 6.1.44 and 7.0.8. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms within software systems. The flaw manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that enables attackers with low-privilege access to the host infrastructure where VirtualBox operates to gain complete control over the virtualization environment. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 indicates a high-severity threat with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability, reflecting the comprehensive nature of potential damage.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to already possess login credentials to the host system where Oracle VM VirtualBox is executing, establishing a local attack vector with high complexity requirements. This positioning places the vulnerability within the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation tactics, specifically under T1068 which targets local privilege escalation techniques. The scope change aspect of this vulnerability means that while the initial attack targets VirtualBox itself, the consequences can extend to impact additional systems and applications that rely on or interact with the compromised virtualization environment, creating a cascading effect that multiplies the overall security impact.
The operational implications of CVE-2023-21987 are particularly concerning for organizations that depend heavily on virtualization technologies for their infrastructure. A successful exploitation could result in complete takeover of the VirtualBox instance, potentially allowing attackers to access all virtual machines managed by the compromised system, steal sensitive data, modify virtual environments, or use the compromised host as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The availability impact is significant as attackers could potentially disrupt virtualization services entirely, while the confidentiality and integrity impacts extend to all data stored within or processed by the virtualized environments. Organizations using older versions of VirtualBox should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to versions 6.1.44 or 7.0.8, which contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, implementing network segmentation, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and maintaining strict access controls on host systems can help mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping virtualization software updated and maintaining comprehensive security monitoring across all infrastructure components that support virtualized environments.