CVE-2024-10488 - Critical Use-After-Free Vulnerability in WebRTC in Google Chrome Versions Prior to 130..6723.92

CVE-2024-10488 is a critical use-after-free vulnerability discovered in WebRTC, a real-time communication component widely used in Google Chrome. Versions of Chrome prior to 130..6723.92 are affected by this vulnerability, which has been assigned a "High" severity level by Chromium security. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.

In this post, we will provide an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability, code snippets demonstrating the flaw, and links to the original references for further information. We will also discuss the technical details of the exploit and offer suggestions for mitigating the risk associated with this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Details

A use-after-free vulnerability occurs when a program continues to use a pointer to memory after that memory has already been "freed," or deallocated. This can lead to a variety of dangerous consequences, including remote code execution, information leaks, and denial of service attacks.

In the case of CVE-2024-10488, the use-after-free vulnerability is present in the WebRTC component of Google Chrome. An attacker could potentially create a specially crafted HTML page designed to exploit this vulnerability and, through heap corruption, execute arbitrary code or cause other undesirable behavior within the affected browser.

Below is a simplified code snippet that demonstrates the use-after-free vulnerability

class VulnerableObject {
public:
    void DoAction() {
         // Perform some action
    }
};

int main() {
    VulnerableObject* pObj = new VulnerableObject();
    delete pObj; // Free the object
    
    // Now, pObj is dangling pointer, because it still points to the memory location of the freed object
    pObj->DoAction(); // Use-after-free vulnerability
    return ;
}

This code snippet demonstrates a classic use-after-free scenario, where a pointer is freed and then continues to be used afterward. In the context of CVE-2024-10488, the vulnerability lies within the WebRTC component causing a similar scenario to occur.

Original References and Exploit Details

The Chromium project's official advisory detailing the vulnerability can be found in the following link:
Chromium Advisory CVE-2024-10488

The advisory offers a brief overview of the vulnerability but does not provide specific details of the exploit. This is likely to protect users from potential attackers who may use this information for malicious purposes.

However, given the nature of use-after-free vulnerabilities, some potential exploit details can still be inferred. An attacker could craft a malicious HTML page designed to trigger the vulnerability, likely through specially designed JavaScript code. An unsuspecting user who navigated to the attacker's malicious website could then potentially be at risk for heap corruption, which could lead to a variety of undesired consequences.

Mitigation and Protection

The most effective method of mitigating the risk associated with CVE-2024-10488 is to upgrade to Google Chrome version 130..6723.92 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched. To ensure that you are using the most up-to-date version of Chrome, follow these steps:

Click the "More" (three vertical dots) icon in the upper right corner of the browser window.

3. Select "Help" then "About Google Chrome". The browser will then check for updates and install the latest version.

In addition to updating Chrome, other general best practices for web security can help protect against vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-10488, such as:

Conclusion

CVE-2024-10488 is a critical use-after-free vulnerability that affects Google Chrome versions prior to 130..6723.92. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page and cause remote code execution, information disclosure, or denial of service.

It is highly recommended that users update to the latest version of Google Chrome to protect against this vulnerability. Additionally, following general security best practices can help to minimize the risk of such vulnerabilities being exploited.

Timeline

Published on: 10/29/2024 22:15:03 UTC
Last modified on: 11/01/2024 12:57:35 UTC