CVE-2024-21141 - Vulnerability in Oracle VM VirtualBox: Potential Takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox by High Privileged Attacker

Oracle VM VirtualBox is a popular virtualization software that allows users to run multiple operating systems on a single physical machine. Recently, a critical vulnerability was discovered in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.2. The component affected is the core of the software, which could be exploited by a high privileged attacker with logon access to the targeted system. The vulnerable versions are prior to 7..20, and the successful exploitation of this vulnerability can result in a takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox.

CVSS Vector

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CV SS) provides a standardized, numerical evaluation of the severity of security vulnerabilities present. The CVSS Vector associated with CVE-2024-21141 is: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H). This vector indicates that the vulnerability has a local attack vector, low attack complexity, requires high privileges, and has no user interaction. Additionally, the vector also reveals that successful exploitation will have a significant scope change and can lead to high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Exploit Details

A high privileged attacker with logon access to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the system. While the vulnerability exists within Oracle VM VirtualBox itself, successful attacks can greatly impact additional products (scope change).

The attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using specially crafted code that targets the affected core component of Oracle VM VirtualBox. The details of the specific code have not been made public to prevent malicious actors from using this information for malicious purposes.

To better understand the potential impact upon successful exploitation, here's a simplified code snippet that represents the attacker's malicious code:

def exploit_vulnerability(target, payload):
    # Connect to target system
    ssh_connection = create_connection(target)

    # Execute payload on target system
    ssh_connection.execute(payload)

    # Exploitation successful
    print("Oracle VM VirtualBox takeover successful!")

Patching and Mitigations

Oracle has released a patch for the affected Oracle VM VirtualBox component. It is strongly advised to apply this update as soon as possible to protect your system from potential exploitation. Upgrading to version 7..20 or later will resolve the vulnerability in the affected component.

Regularly monitor and audit system logs for suspicious activities.

- Limit the number of users with high privileges on the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox is executed.

Links to Original References

- Oracle Security Advisory: CVE-2024-21141
- NVD - CVE-2024-21141: (https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21141)

Conclusion

The critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-21141) affecting Oracle VM VirtualBox can have potentially disastrous consequences if exploited successfully, allowing unauthorized takeover of thevm system. It is crucial for organizations and users to take immediate action in order to mitigate the risk of exploitation by applying the available patches and practicing good security hygiene. Keep your systems up-to-date, and always stay informed about emerging security threats.

Timeline

Published on: 07/16/2024 23:15:15 UTC
Last modified on: 07/17/2024 13:34:20 UTC