CVE-2026-47062 Overview
CVE-2026-47062 is a denial of service vulnerability in the Core component of Oracle VM VirtualBox. Oracle VM VirtualBox version 7.2.12 is affected. A low-privileged attacker with local logon access to the infrastructure hosting VirtualBox can exploit this flaw to trigger a hang or repeatable crash of the VirtualBox process. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-284: Improper Access Control].
Exploitation requires local access and low privileges, with no user interaction. The impact is limited to availability, resulting in complete denial of service of the VirtualBox instance. Confidentiality and integrity are not affected.
Critical Impact
A local, low-privileged attacker can crash or hang Oracle VM VirtualBox 7.2.12, causing complete denial of service of hosted virtual machines.
Affected Products
- Oracle VM VirtualBox 7.2.12
- Oracle Virtualization (Core component)
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-21 - CVE CVE-2026-47062 published to NVD
- 2026-07-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-47062
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Core component of Oracle VM VirtualBox 7.2.12. The Core component handles central hypervisor functions including virtual machine lifecycle management, device emulation coordination, and host-guest communication. A flaw in this component allows a local attacker with valid credentials on the host to send inputs that cause the VirtualBox process to hang or crash.
The issue is classified as [CWE-284: Improper Access Control]. Access control weaknesses in a hypervisor's Core component typically indicate that operations reachable by low-privileged users lack proper validation or authorization checks. When invoked with crafted parameters, these operations can drive the hypervisor into an unrecoverable state.
Successful exploitation results in a complete denial of service of the VirtualBox instance. All virtual machines running on the affected host become unavailable until the hypervisor is restarted. Recovery may require host intervention or restart of the VirtualBox service.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper access control in the VirtualBox Core component. Oracle has not disclosed detailed technical specifics. The flaw permits a locally authenticated user to invoke functionality that should be restricted or validated more strictly.
Attack Vector
The attack requires local access to the host system running VirtualBox. The attacker must possess valid credentials on the host but does not need administrative privileges. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own actions. Remote exploitation over a network is not possible.
The vulnerability cannot be exploited to escape the guest, execute code, or read host memory. The attack surface is limited to availability disruption of the hypervisor and its guests. See the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 for vendor-provided details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-47062
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected termination or hang of the VBoxHeadless, VirtualBox, or VBoxSVC process on the host.
- Repeated crash entries in host system logs referencing VirtualBox binaries or kernel modules such as vboxdrv.
- Virtual machines transitioning to aborted state without administrator action.
- Local user sessions launching unusual VirtualBox command-line utilities immediately preceding crashes.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor host process telemetry for abnormal exit codes and repeated restarts of VirtualBox services.
- Correlate local logon events with subsequent VirtualBox process failures to identify low-privileged users triggering crashes.
- Alert on core dumps or crash reports generated by VirtualBox binaries within short time windows.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable process creation and termination auditing on hosts running VirtualBox 7.2.12.
- Ingest host operating system logs and VirtualBox log files (VBox.log, VBoxHardening.log) into a central log platform.
- Baseline normal VirtualBox process behavior and alert on deviations such as unexpected crash frequency.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-47062
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixes published in the Oracle Security Alert July 2026 Critical Patch Update.
- Inventory hosts running Oracle VM VirtualBox 7.2.12 and prioritize patching on multi-tenant or shared systems.
- Restrict interactive logon on VirtualBox hosts to trusted administrative users only.
Patch Information
Oracle addressed CVE-2026-47062 in the July 2026 Critical Patch Update. Administrators should upgrade Oracle VM VirtualBox to the fixed version specified in the Oracle Security Alert July 2026. No official workaround has been published by Oracle beyond applying the patch.
Workarounds
- Limit local logon access to VirtualBox hosts to reduce the pool of users who could trigger the flaw.
- Enforce least-privilege policies and remove unnecessary local accounts from VirtualBox host systems.
- Isolate workloads that require VirtualBox 7.2.12 on dedicated hosts until patching is complete.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
