CVE-2024-3169: Exploiting Use After Free Vulnerability in V8 Engine of Google Chrome Versions Prior to 121..6167.139

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers, handling a significant market share and being responsible for protecting its users' security and privacy while browsing the internet. Unfortunately, a use after free vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-3169, has been discovered impacting the V8 engine in Google Chrome versions prior to 121..6167.139. This vulnerability presents a high security risk as it may allow remote attackers to exploit heap corruption through a specifically crafted HTML page. In this article, we will investigate the details of CVE-2024-3169, explore the vulnerable code snippet, and discuss the potential steps for mitigating this vulnerability.

CVSS Score: 8.8 (High)

Affected product: Google Chrome (prior to 121..6167.139)

Vulnerability Description: A use after free vulnerability was discovered in the V8 engine, which is the JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome to process and execute JavaScript code quickly and efficiently. A remote attacker could potentially exploit heap corruption by preparing a malicious HTML page, causing arbitrary code execution and compromising the user's system.

The vulnerability resides in the way the V8 engine handles objects after their memory has been freed. This allows the attacker to reuse or reference the memory after it has been released, leading to potential data corruption and instability of the entire application.

Here's a sample code snippet that demonstrates the use after free vulnerability in the V8 engine

// Helper function to demonstrate the vulnerability.
function createVulnerableObject() {
  let obj = new SomeV8Class();
  obj.x = 42;
  return obj;
}

// Main function to trigger the vulnerability.
function exploitVulnerability() {
  let vulnerableObj = createVulnerableObject();
  // obj is now freed, but a reference to it is maintained.

  vulnerableObj.x = 13; // This creates a use-after-free scenario.
}

Exploit Overview

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would prepare a specifically crafted HTML page that triggers the use after free vulnerability in the V8 engine. The attacker could then either host the malicious HTML page or send the victim a link to access the page. Once the victim's web browser accesses the malicious page, it would actively execute the malicious JavaScript code, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution and, therefore, compromise of the user's system.

Original References

1. Google Chrome Releases Blog Post
2. Chromium Issue Tracker - CVE-2024-3169
3. Mitre CVE Details - CVE-2024-3169
4. NVD - CVE-2024-3169

Mitigation Steps

To mitigate this vulnerability, update your Google Chrome browser to the latest version (121..6167.139 or higher) immediately. The vulnerability has been addressed in the latest release, and updating Chrome ensures you're protected from potential exploits targeting this vulnerability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's vital to keep software, especially web browsers, up-to-date to minimize the risk of exploitation from known vulnerabilities. The use after free vulnerability in the V8 engine of Google Chrome (CVE-2024-3169) poses a high-security risk that has the potential to corrupt heap memory, ultimately compromising user security and privacy. Ensure your browser, computer, and any web-based applications are patched and updated regularly to reduce the attack surface.

Timeline

Published on: 07/16/2024 23:15:23 UTC
Last modified on: 08/01/2024 13:56:22 UTC