{"id":"CVE-2008-3431","published":"2008-08-05T19:41:00Z","modified":"2026-06-16T22:55:48Z","title":"Oracle VirtualBox Insufficient Input Validation Vulnerability","vendor":"Oracle","product":"VirtualBox","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"The VBoxDrvNtDeviceControl function in VBoxDrv.sys in Sun xVM VirtualBox before 1.6.4 uses the METHOD_NEITHER communication method for IOCTLs and does not properly validate a buffer associated with the Irp object, which allows local users to gain privileges by opening the \\\\.\\VBoxDrv device and calling DeviceIoControl to send a crafted kernel address.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"Oracle VirtualBox before 1.6.4 contains a flaw in the VBoxDrvNtDeviceControl function of the VBoxDrv.sys driver, which uses the METHOD_NEITHER IOCTL communication method and fails to properly validate a buffer tied to the Irp object. A local user with low privileges who can open the \\\\.\\VBoxDrv device can send a crafted kernel address through DeviceIoControl to gain elevated privileges, with no user interaction required.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:11:07Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.06876,"percentile":0.94036,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-03","dueDate":"2022-03-24","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-3431","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-02-11","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-02-11","ransomware":true,"evidence":[{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/pdf/ransomware/Spotlight_Ransomware2021.pdf","date":"2021-02-11"},{"url":"https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2021/12/13/driver-based-attacks-past-and-present/","date":"2021-12-13"},{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/howdymanage/uploads/file/ransomware-_-2022-spotlight-report_compressed.pdf","date":"2022-01-26"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-03"},{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/howdymanage/uploads/file/RansomwareUpdate%20Report%202022%20Q1.pdf","date":"2022-04-12"},{"url":"https://cybersecurityworks.com/howdymanage/uploads/file/Spotlight%20Report%20-%20Index%20Update%20Q2%20-%20Q3%20-%20Final%20Version_compressed.pdf","date":"2022-05-18"},{"url":"https://www.ivanti.com/resources/v/doc/pr-survey-report/ransomware-quarterly-indexreport_q2-q3","date":"2022-10-21"}],"evidenceTotal":7,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-264","name":null}],"references":[{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/31361","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4107","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://securitytracker.com/id?1020625","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-240095-1","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog","tags":["Product"]},{"url":"http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability","tags":["Exploit","Third 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Link"]},{"url":"http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog","tags":["Product"]},{"url":"http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/495095/100/0/threaded","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30481","tags":["Broken Link","Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2293","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/44202","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2008-3431","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1608","name":"Stage Capabilities","tactics":["resource-development"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-cve","bases":["ctid-cve"],"basisDetail":"CTID attack_to_cve (Phase 1)","mappingType":"uncategorized","evidence":[],"confidence":"low","confidenceNote":"CTID attack_to_cve Phase 1 \"Uncategorized\" mapping (not staged by impact)"},{"id":"T1078","name":"Valid Accounts","tactics":["initial-access","persistence","privilege-escalation","stealth"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: local user opens device, valid local account","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows local users to gain privileges by opening the","start":220,"end":272}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege 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(PoC)","type":"dos","platform":"multiple","date":"2008-08-10","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2008-08-10"},"first":{"date":"2008-08-10","source":"Exploit-DB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability","http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30481","https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1078"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"related","techniques":["T1608"],"provenance":"source","lowConfidence":true}],"timeline":[{"date":"2008-08-05","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-3431","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2008-08-10","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Exploit-DB 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