# CVE-2021-25319: virtualbox: missing sticky bit for /etc/vbox allows local root exploit for members of vboxusers group

> Local attackers in the vboxusers group can escalate to root due to missing sticky bit on /etc/vbox in openSUSE VirtualBox packages.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 May 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x9mv-6frm-qg9c, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-25319

## What is CVE-2021-25319?

CVE-2021-25319 is a high-severity vulnerability in openSUSE Factory, published on 5 May 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A Incorrect Default Permissions vulnerability in the packaging of virtualbox of openSUSE Factory allows local attackers in the vboxusers groupu to escalate to root. This issue affects: openSUSE Factory virtualbox version 6.1.20-1.1 and prior versions.

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-25319?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Opensuse Factory.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-25319?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-25319 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-25319 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in openSUSE Factory

- [CVE-2022-31256](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31256/): sendmail: mail to root privilege escalation via sm-client.pre script (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2022-31251](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-31251/): slurm: %post for slurm-testsuite operates as root in user owned directory (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-36781](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36781/): parsec: dangerous 777 permissions for /run/parsec (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-25319 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-25319 is a high-severity vulnerability in openSUSE Factory, published on 5 May 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-25319 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: openSUSE Factory. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25319/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25319/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-25319
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25319
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-25319

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25319/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.