Which attack allows an attacker to take control of all virtual machines on a host?

VM escape is the phenomenon where an attacker exploits vulnerabilities in a virtual machine (VM) monitor or hypervisor to gain access to the underlying host operating system and, subsequently, other virtual machines running on that host. This type of attack is particularly concerning because it allows the attacker to escape the isolation that VMs are supposed to provide, giving them control over not just one VM, but potentially all VMs hosted on that system.

When successful, a VM escape effectively breaks down the security boundaries enforced by virtualization, enabling an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the host machine. This can lead to significant security breaches, as the attacker can access sensitive data from other VMs and possibly compromise the entire virtualization infrastructure.

Understanding VM escape is crucial in cybersecurity practices, especially in environments that heavily rely on virtualization for deploying applications and services. Protecting against such vulnerabilities often involves applying security patches to the hypervisor, employing stringent access controls, and monitoring for unusual behavior at the virtualization layer.