CVE-2008-3431: Oracle VirtualBox Insufficient Input Validation Vulnerability

CVE-2008-3431 · Severity: critical · CVSS 8.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2022-03-03

The VBoxDrvNtDeviceControl function in VBoxDrv.sys in Sun xVM VirtualBox uses the METHOD_NEITHER communication method for IOCTLs without properly validating buffers. Local attackers can exploit this by sending crafted kernel addresses via DeviceIoControl to the VBoxDrv device to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Technologies: Oracle VirtualBox. Vendors: Oracle.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2008-3431 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2008-3431 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 3 March 2022. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2008-3431?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 3 March 2022.
Which products and versions are affected?
Sun xVM VirtualBox before 1.6.4; Oracle VirtualBox before 1.6.4.
Is there a fix for CVE-2008-3431?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2008-3431 attacked?
It is attacked with local access, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2008-3431?
Check whether you run Oracle VirtualBox. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Affected products

  • Sun xVM VirtualBox before 1.6.4
  • Oracle VirtualBox before 1.6.4

Timeline

  • 2008-08-04: disclosed: Initial disclosure date based on external references (e.g., BID 30481)
  • 2022-03-03: kev added: Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

This page as Markdown. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link back.