CVE-2026-21988

Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core)

High ยท published January 20, 2026

CVSS v3.1
8.2
EPSS
0%
Percentile
11.0
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

โšก A single logon can unlock the entire Oracle VM VirtualBox, allowing an attacker to take control like a kid with the master key to a candy store! ๐Ÿฌ Think of it like a hotel where only a privileged guest can access all the rooms โ€” if they find a way to bypass the initial check-in, they could cause chaos throughout the entire building. Once an attacker compromises Oracle VM VirtualBox, they can not only control the virtual machine environment but potentially impact other products and services running alongside it. This could lead to devastating outcomes, such as data leaks, unauthorized access, or complete system takeover โ€” all because of an easily exploitable vulnerability! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ

Put simply

Think of it like a hotel where only a privileged guest can access all the rooms โ€” if they find a way to bypass the initial check-in, they could cause chaos throughout the entire building. This vulnerability exists in Oracle VM VirtualBox due to inadequate access controls. If a high-privileged attacker with logon credentials exploits this flaw, they can effectively gain unauthorized control over the virtualization platform.

What to do

Once an attacker compromises Oracle VM VirtualBox, they can not only control the virtual machine environment but potentially impact other products and services running alongside it. This could lead to devastating outcomes, such as data leaks, unauthorized access, or complete system takeover โ€” all because of an easily exploitable vulnerability! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ To protect against this vulnerability, patch your Oracle VM VirtualBox to versions 7.1.15 or 7.2.5 or later immediately. Ensure that access controls are tight and monitor for any suspicious activity in your virtual environments. ๐Ÿ”’ You've got this! Follow these steps, and you'll be securing your systems in no time. ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
8.2 ยท HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00213 ยท 11.0th percentile
Published
2026-01-20T21:56Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 20 JAN 21:56Z
    Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core)
    cvelistv5