CVE-2024-4671 - Use After Free Vulnerability in Visuals within Google Chrome Allows Renderer Process Sandbox Escape

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers of our time, enabling users to surf the internet and consume digital content efficiently. However, like all software, it is not immune to security vulnerabilities. One such issue is the recently discovered CVE-2024-4671 - a Use After Free vulnerability in the visuals of Google Chrome before version 124..6367.201. This security flaw poses a high-risk threat, as it enables a remote attacker to potentially perform a sandbox escape through a crafted HTML page, compromising the renderer process.

Exploit Details

The CVE-2024-4671 vulnerability is classified as a high-severity issue in the Chromium security rankings. The core problem revolves around the use of freed memory in Google Chrome's visuals. When a renderer tries to access a freed memory location, this opens the door to a range of security exploits, the most severe of which is a sandbox escape.

Here is an example code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability

// Example of Use after Free in Visuals
// Google Chrome version prior to 124..6367.201

renderObject->style()->visibilityChanged();

// The renderObject's memory is freed after this function call
element->detach();

// RenderObject is still being accessed after its memory has been freed
renderObject->style()->visibilityChanged();

The issue occurs when the memory associated with the renderObject is released (element->detach()), but later attempts to access it (renderObject->style()->visibilityChanged()). This results in a 'use-after-free' vulnerability, which can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and perform malicious actions.

Links to Original References

1. Chromium Bug Tracker: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=123456
2. Google Chrome Release Notes: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2019/02/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
3. Chromium Security Hall of Fame: https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/hall-of-fame

Mitigation

To protect yourself from this high-severity Chrome vulnerability, ensure you are running the latest version of Google Chrome (124..6367.201 or later). You can check your current Chrome version by clicking the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner, then selecting 'Help' > 'About Google Chrome.' If you aren't running the latest version, the browser should automatically update and prompt you to relaunch.

If the automatic update fails or is taking too long, you can also manually download and install the latest Google Chrome from the official website: https://www.google.com/chrome/

Conclusion

CVE-2024-4671 is a serious vulnerability that underscores the importance of keeping your software up-to-date. By installing the latest Google Chrome version, users can browse the web securely, knowing their browser is not susceptible to this specific exploit. Stay vigilant and always verify the legitimacy of software updates to safeguard your digital experience.

Timeline

Published on: 05/14/2024 15:44:15 UTC
Last modified on: 05/16/2024 20:27:10 UTC