VirtualBox emulates the guest's hardware in host-side processes. Every emulated device parses guest-controlled input, so a memory-corruption flaw runs code on the host as the user running the VM. VirtualBox's broad, open-source device set makes this a well-studied surface, with public exploit chains for several devices. The surface splits by device.
Subtopics#
- Network adapters: the e1000 and PCNet models.
- 3D acceleration: the Chromium and VMSVGA graphics path.
- USB controllers: OHCI, EHCI, and XHCI emulation.
- Audio devices: AC97, Intel HDA, and SB16.