The Chromium development team recently addressed an important security vulnerability in Google Chrome on Android, which was reported under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier CVE-2024-10826. This high-severity vulnerability pertains to a use-after-free condition within the Family Experiences feature in Google Chrome, which could potentially allow threat actors to corrupt the heap_memory management area, leading to remote code execution. To take advantage of this vulnerability, an attacker could simply create a malicious HTML page that triggers the issue. The bug affected all users running Google Chrome on Android devices with versions prior to 130..6723.116.

In this long-read post, we will delve into the details of CVE-2024-10826, examine its exploitability, and discuss potential mitigations. We will also provide code snippets that illustrate the bug's behavior and link to pertinent references to help you understand this critical vulnerability better.

Code Snippet

The exploitable use-after-free issue appears within the implementation of the Family Experiences feature. A code snippet that demonstrates the issue can be found below:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <!-- CVE-2024-10826 Proof-of-Concept -->
    <script>
        function trigger_vulnerability() {
            // ... Your exploit code goes here ...
        }
    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <!-- Click the button to trigger use-after-free -->
    <button onclick="trigger_vulnerability()">Click to Exploit</button>
</body>
</html>

Exploit Details

Understanding the exploit behavior for this vulnerability involves examining the heap_corruption caused by the bug. Within the Family Experiences component, certain objects are allocated on the heap, but their lifetimes are not managed properly, causing them to remain in memory after they are no longer needed. When a crafted HTML page is loaded, it can trigger a situation where these "use-after-free" objects are subsequently accessed.

A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability by enticing a Google Chrome user on Android to visit a website containing a malicious HTML file designed specifically to trigger the use-after-free issue. If successful, the attacker can corrupt the heap, potentially leading to code execution.

The official Chromium security announcement for CVE-2024-10826 is available at the following URL

1. Chromium Blog - Security Fixes and Rewards

The Chromium source code repository, which contains the vulnerable code and the corresponding patch, can be found here:

2. Chromium Source Code Repository

Language: Simple American English
Understanding the technical details of security vulnerabilities can be a daunting task, especially for individuals without extensive experience in programming or software development. However, essential aspects of CVE-2024-10826 are accessible even for people without prior knowledge of the subject matter. A "use-after-free" vulnerability refers to a situation where a program continues to access memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to malicious exploits, such as code execution.

The heap referred to earlier is an area in memory where programs dynamically allocate and deallocate memory. In this case, Google Chrome for Android has a security bug wherein specific memory objects are accessed even after they have been taken out of the heap. This creates an exploitable vulnerability that attackers can use to exploit users' devices with malicious HTML pages.

Mitigation

All Google Chrome users on Android should update their browser to the latest version (130..6723.116) to protect against CVE-2024-10826. This update, which contains a security patch for this vulnerability, can be installed via the Google Play Store.

In conclusion, CVE-2024-10826 is a high-severity vulnerability in Google Chrome on Android that could potentially have severe consequences if exploited. By understanding its technical details, exploit behavior, and ways to mitigate the threat, you can help protect your Android device from possible attacks. Stay informed and vigilant to stay safe!

Timeline

Published on: 11/06/2024 17:15:13 UTC
Last modified on: 11/06/2024 18:17:17 UTC