CAPEC-480 Metadata
Likelihood of Attack
Low
Typical Severity
Very High
Overview
Summary
An adversary gains access to an application, service, or device with the privileges of an authorized or privileged user by escaping the confines of a virtualized environment. The adversary is then able to access resources or execute unauthorized code within the host environment, generally with the privileges of the user running the virtualized process. Successfully executing an attack of this type is often the first step in executing more complex attacks.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites listed.
Execution Flow
| Step | Phase | Description | Techniques |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explore | [Probing] The adversary probes the target application, service, or device to find a possible weakness that would allow escaping the virtualized environment. |
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| 2 | Experiment | [Verify the exploitable security weaknesses] Using the found weakness, the adversary attempts to escape the virtualized environment. |
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| 3 | Exploit | [Execute more complex attacks] Once outside of the virtualized environment, the adversary attempts to perform other more complex attacks such as accessing system resources or executing unauthorized code within the host environment. |
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Potential Solutions / Mitigations
Ensure virtualization software is current and up-to-date. Abide by the least privilege principle to avoid assigning users more privileges than necessary.
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-693 | Protection Mechanism Failure |
Related CAPECs
| CAPEC ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CAPEC-115 | An attacker gains access to application, service, or device with the privileges of an authorized or privileged user by evading or circumventing an authentication mechanism. The attacker is therefore able to access protected data without authentication ever having taken place. |
Taxonomy Mappings
Taxonomy: ATTACK
| Entry ID | Entry Name |
|---|---|
| 1611 | Escape to Host |
Stay Ahead of Attack Patterns
Understanding CAPEC patterns helps security professionals anticipate and thwart potential attacks. Leverage these insights to enhance threat modeling, strengthen your software development lifecycle, and train your security teams effectively.