CVE-2026-21986: Oracle VM VirtualBox · Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure
Affects Oracle VM VirtualBoxSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle CorporationOracle VM VirtualBox | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Immediately identify and inventory all Oracle VM VirtualBox instances running versions 7.1.14 and 7.2.4, focusing on those hosting Windows VMs. 2. Apply vendor patches or updates as soon as they become available from Oracle to remediate the vulnerability. 3. Restrict local access to the infrastructure hosting VirtualBox to trusted personnel only, enforcing strict access controls and monitoring. 4. Implement network segmentation to isolate virtualization hosts from less trusted networks and users. 5. Employ host-based intrusion detection and prevention systems to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Regularly audit and review user accounts and permissions to minimize the risk of unauthorized local access. 7. Consider temporary mitigation by limiting the use of affected VirtualBox versions or migrating critical workloads to alternative virtualization platforms until patches are applied. 8. Monitor vendor advisories and threat intelligence feeds for updates on exploit availability and additional mitigation guidance.
Description
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox product of Oracle Virtualization (component: Core). Supported versions that are affected are 7.1.14 and 7.2.4. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products (scope change). Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a hang or frequently repeatable crash (complete DOS) of Oracle VM VirtualBox. Note: This vulnerability applies to Windows VMs only. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 7.1 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H).