CVE-2026-71131 in VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE • 08/19/2026
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). The supported version that is affected is 7.2.14. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. Successful attacks require human interaction from a person other than the attacker and 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 8.6 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the core component of Oracle VM VirtualBox version 7.2.14, representing a critical security flaw that compromises the integrity and availability of virtualization environments. This defect allows an unauthenticated attacker who has established logon access to the underlying infrastructure hosting the VirtualBox instance to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service condition. The severity is underscored by a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.6, indicating high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector requires local network access with low complexity but necessitates user interaction from someone other than the attacker, suggesting that social engineering or physical proximity may be required to trigger the exploit conditions initially.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability enables privilege escalation within the context of the VirtualBox process. Once an unauthenticated actor gains initial logon access to the host infrastructure, they can leverage specific interactions with the virtualization engine to bypass security controls and achieve full control over the Oracle VM VirtualBox application. This takeover capability is particularly dangerous because it does not require prior authentication credentials for the guest operating systems or the hypervisor management interface directly, but rather exploits weaknesses in how the core handles certain inputs from logged-in users on the host system. The flaw likely involves improper validation of input data or race conditions within the core processing logic that allows an attacker to manipulate memory structures or execution flow.
The operational impact extends beyond the immediate compromise of VirtualBox due to scope change characteristics inherent in virtualization technologies. A successful exploitation can lead to a complete takeover of the hypervisor, which serves as the foundation for multiple guest machines. Consequently, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to additional products and services running within those guests. An attacker who compromises the host-level VirtualBox process may potentially escape the sandbox isolation to access sensitive data stored on the host filesystem or intercept network traffic from other virtual machines sharing the same infrastructure. This lateral movement capability transforms a local application flaw into a potential enterprise-wide security incident, affecting confidentiality of proprietary information and integrity of critical business applications hosted in the cloud or private data centers.
Industry standards classify this type of vulnerability under CWE-20 Improper Input Validation when related to malformed inputs causing crashes or code execution, or potentially CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write if memory corruption is involved. In terms of attack tactics, this aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter for executing arbitrary commands after gaining initial access, and T1211 Exploitation for Defense Evasion if the attacker uses the vulnerability to disable security software on the host. The requirement for human interaction places it within the realm of social engineering vectors where an attacker might trick a legitimate user into performing actions that trigger the vulnerable code path in VirtualBox.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term hardening. Oracle has released updates addressing this flaw, so applying the latest patches to all instances of Oracle VM VirtualBox version 7.2.x is the primary defense mechanism. Organizations should ensure their patch management processes are agile enough to deploy these fixes promptly across all virtualization hosts. Additionally, implementing strict access controls on infrastructure where VirtualBox executes can reduce the attack surface by limiting which users have logon capabilities to those systems. Network segmentation should be employed to isolate virtualization hosts from general user workstations and untrusted networks. Regular security audits and vulnerability scans targeting hypervisor configurations are recommended to detect any misconfigurations that could facilitate exploitation of similar flaws in the future.