CVE CyberSecurity Database News

CVE-2024-3914: Analyzing Exploit Potential of "Use After Free" Vulnerability in V8 Engine in Google Chrome (versions prior to 124..6367.60)

Poster -

Security researchers have recently identified a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2024-3914) in the V8 JavaScript engine used in Google Chrome browser. The vulnerability, categorized as a "use after free" (UAF) issue, allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a maliciously crafted HTML page. This post will provide an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability, examining the possible exploit details, and sharing some code snippets to understand the exploit better.

Background

The V8 engine is the JavaScript engine that powers the Google Chrome browser. The engine has been subject to numerous vulnerabilities in the past, and Google has always been quick to release security patches once these vulnerabilities are identified.

In this case, the vulnerability (CVE-2024-3914) is present in the V8 engine of Google Chrome versions prior to 124..6367.60. According to Chromium's security severity scale, the vulnerability has a high risk rating, meaning it has the potential to be exploited for significant impact.

Vulnerability Details

The "use after free" vulnerability exists when an application continues to use memory (an object) even after it has been freed. This can lead to heap corruption, which can ultimately allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a specially crafted HTML page that, when opened in a vulnerable version of Google Chrome, executes malicious JavaScript code targeting the V8 engine's UAF vulnerability. Here's a simplified code snippet that demonstrates how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:

<html>
<head>
<script>
function exploitUAF() {
  // Trigger the use after free vulnerability
  // ...
}
</script>
</head>
<body onload="exploitUAF()">
  <!-- Malicious content that takes advantage of the vulnerability -->
</body>
</html>

When this malicious HTML file is opened in a vulnerable version of Google Chrome, the exploitUAF() function would trigger the UAF vulnerability, causing heap corruption. With careful crafting, the attacker could use this heap corruption to gain control of the target system.

Google was quick to respond once the vulnerability was identified, and they have released version 124..6367.60 to address this issue. The official announcement can be found in the following link:
- Google Chrome Releases Blog: Stable Channel Update for Desktop

Furthermore, detailed information on the CVE-2024-3914 vulnerability can be found in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD):
- NVD - CVE-2024-3914

Conclusion

All users are strongly encouraged to update Google Chrome to version 124..6367.60 or later as soon as possible to mitigate the risk of potential exploits targeting this "use after free" vulnerability in the V8 engine. As always, it is a best practice to frequently update your software to the latest available version and be cautious of the web pages you visit.

Timeline

Published on: 04/17/2024 18:15:16 UTC
Last modified on: 07/03/2024 02:06:52 UTC