<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
<!-- NERF is a trademark of defconxt. -->
---
name: performing-hypervisor-escape
description: >-
  Exploit hypervisor vulnerabilities to escape virtual machine boundaries, targeting VM exit handlers, virtual device emulation, and shared memory interfaces.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: binary-exploitation
tags:
  - hypervisor
  - vm-escape
  - virtualization
  - privilege-escalation
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1611"]
  frameworks: ["MITRE ATT&CK"]
  tools: ["gdb", "qemu", "kvm"]
---

# Performing Hypervisor Escape

## Overview

Exploit hypervisor vulnerabilities to escape virtual machine boundaries, targeting VM exit handlers, virtual device emulation, and shared memory interfaces.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `gdb` | Security tooling |
| `qemu` | Security tooling |
| `kvm` | Security tooling |
| Target hypervisor (QEMU/KVM), GDB with VM debugging, kernel source | Environment requirement |

## Quick Reference

```bash
# Quick start commands
node scripts/agent.js --help
node scripts/agent.js enumerate --hypervisor qemu --devices virtio,e1000
```

## Workflow

### Step 1: Identify Attack Surface

```bash
node scripts/agent.js enumerate --hypervisor qemu --devices virtio,e1000
```

### Step 2: Fuzz Virtual Devices

```bash
node scripts/agent.js fuzz --hypervisor qemu --device e1000
```

### Step 3: Exploit VM Exit Handler

```bash
node scripts/agent.js exploit --hypervisor qemu --vector vmexit
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Hypervisor Escape Detection
id: dad91edb-cc60-436e-8a69-ba456a0e48b9
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to performing hypervisor escape techniques in binary exploitation context
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine: "*performing*hypervisor*"
  condition: selection
level: critical
tags:
  - attack.t1611
  - attack.execution
falsepositives:
  - Vulnerability scanner testing known exploit signatures
```


**Detection Opportunities**

| Indicator | Source | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Hypervisor Escape Detection | windows/process_creation | Sigma rule (critical) |
| ATT&CK Coverage | MITRE ATT&CK | T1611 |

## Verification

- **Verify attack surface**: `node scripts/agent.js enumerate --hypervisor qemu --devices virtio,e1000`
- **Confirm escape**: `node scripts/agent.js exploit --hypervisor qemu --vector vmexit`

## References

- MITRE ATT&CK: T1611
- Frameworks: MITRE ATT&CK
- Tools: gdb, qemu, kvm
