CVE-2024-4947 - Type Confusion in V8 Engine Leads to Remote Code Execution in Google Chrome Versions Before 125..6422.60

A high-severity vulnerability with the ID CVE-2024-4947 has been discovered in the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome prior to 125..6422.60. This security flaw, known as 'Type Confusion,' allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page. Google Chrome, with its widespread usage across the globe, might put numerous users at risk from this exploit. Before diving into the details, let's understand the concept of Type Confusion and the V8 engine.

Type Confusion and V8 Engine

_Type Confusion_ happens when a programming language allows the incorrect usage of an object's type, which makes it possible for a malicious attacker to bypass traditional security measures and execute arbitrary code.

The _V8 engine_ is Google's open-source, high-performance JavaScript and WebAssembly engine present in the Chrome browser. It is responsible for interpreting and executing JavaScript code, making it a critical component of the browser.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability CVE-2024-4947 allows an attacker to create a specially crafted HTML page that, when visited by an unsuspecting user, can lead to arbitrary code execution inside Chrome's security sandbox. This sandbox is designed to prevent malicious code from interacting with sensitive functions and data on the user's system.

Even though the executed code is confined within the sandbox, a successful exploit may allow an attacker to steal sensitive information (such as passwords and personal data), perform actions on the user's behalf (like sending messages or making requests), and potentially pivot to other targets within a network.

Below is a snippet of code that demonstrates how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability

function trigger_vuln() {
  // CVE-2024-4947 exploit code here
  let crafted_html_element = create_exploit_object();
  trigger_type_confusion(crafted_html_element);
}

function create_exploit_object() {
  // Code that creates and returns an HTML element
  // specifically crafted to trigger the vulnerability
}

function trigger_type_confusion(element) {
  // Code that manipulates the DOM in such a way that
  // type confusion occurs in the V8 engine, leading to
  // remote code execution
}

// Call the function that triggers the vulnerability
trigger_vuln();

__Note:__ This code snippet is provided for educational purposes only and should not be used to create malicious exploits.

Original References

Google's Chromium project has acknowledged this issue and assigned it a severity level of "High." The affected versions of Chrome are those before 125..6422.60, and users are strongly advised to update their browsers immediately to mitigate this vulnerability. You can find the details of the issue in the official Chromium bug tracker and the V8 engine GitHub repository.

The vulnerability CVE-2024-4947 is also listed in the National Vulnerability Database.

Conclusion

The discovery of the CVE-2024-4947 vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping software, especially widely-used software like web browsers, up-to-date with the latest security patches. Users should always ensure they are running the most recent version of their preferred browser to minimize exposure to known security risks. Developers, on the other hand, must be diligent in identifying and addressing security issues in their codebases to protect users from potential harm.

Timeline

Published on: 05/15/2024 21:15:09 UTC
Last modified on: 05/23/2024 19:54:02 UTC