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

Reference page built from the source records below, each shown as its source publishes it. Dataset version ref-2cb886023e3a, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z.

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name: Oracle VirtualBox Insufficient Input Validation Vulnerability
Vendor: Oracle
Product: VirtualBox
Added to the catalog: 2022-03-03
Due date for US federal agencies: 2022-03-24
Weaknesses: CWE-264
Catalog version: 2026.10.30

An input validation vulnerability exists in the VBoxDrv.sys driver of Sun xVM VirtualBox which allows attackers to locally execute arbitrary code.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-3431

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status: Analyzed
Published: 2008-08-05T19:41:00.000
Last modified: 2026-06-16T22:55:48.933
Weaknesses: NVD-CWE-noinfo

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.

Metric	Score	Severity	Vector	Scored by
CVSS 3.1	8.8	HIGH	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H	[email protected] (Primary)
CVSS 3.1	8.8	HIGH	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H	134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 (Secondary)
CVSS 2.0	7.2	HIGH	AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C	[email protected] (Primary)

References

http://secunia.com/advisories/31361 (Broken Link, Vendor Advisory)
http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4107 (Broken Link)
http://securitytracker.com/id?1020625 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-240095-1 (Broken Link)
http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog (Product)
http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability (Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/495095/100/0/threaded (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30481 (Broken Link, Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2293 (Broken Link)
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/44202 (Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218 (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://secunia.com/advisories/31361 (Broken Link, Vendor Advisory)
http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4107 (Broken Link)
http://securitytracker.com/id?1020625 (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-240095-1 (Broken Link)
http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog (Product)
http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability (Exploit, Third Party Advisory)
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/495095/100/0/threaded (Broken Link, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30481 (Broken Link, Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2293 (Broken Link)
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/44202 (Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218 (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry)
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2008-3431 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:28.906Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2008-3431

CVE record

Assigner: mitre
State: PUBLISHED
Published: 2008-08-05T19:20:00.000Z
Updated: 2025-10-22T00:05:55.920Z
Problem types: n/a

References

30481
4107
6218
240095
31361
http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability
sun-xvmvirtualbox-privilege-escalation(44202)
ADV-2008-2293
http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog
1020625
20080804 CORE-2008-0716 - Sun xVM VirtualBox Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Read on 2026-11-03T00:11:55.850Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2008/3xxx/CVE-2008-3431.json

Sources and licences

CISA
Source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30, CC0 1.0. Use of this data does not imply endorsement by CISA or DHS.
CC0 1.0 Universal
National Vulnerability Database (NIST)
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
NVD API Terms of Use (NIST publications in the public domain, 17 U.S.C. 105)
CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation
Copyright © 1999-2026, The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a trademark and the CVE logo is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE™). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.
CVE Program Terms of Use ("CVE Usage" licence)

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "CVE-2008-3431: Oracle VirtualBox Insufficient Input Validation Vulnerability",
entity page, dataset version ref-2cb886023e3a, updated 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/cve/CVE-2008-3431 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: CISA Catalog of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, version 2026.10.30.
Underlying source: National Vulnerability Database (NIST), CVE API 2.0, record last modified 2026-06-16T22:55:48.933.
Underlying source: CVE List (CVE Program, The MITRE Corporation), record updated 2025-10-22T00:05:55.920Z.

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