CVE-2024-5831: Investigating Use After Free Vulnerability in Dawn Found in Google Chrome Before Version 126..6478.54

In this post, I am going to examine a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2024-5831) that was present in Google Chrome before it was patched in version 126..6478.54. This security issue is characterized as a "Use After Free" vulnerability that exists within "Dawn," and it potentially allows remote attackers to exploit heap corruption through the use of a specifically crafted HTML page. To help readers better understand the vulnerability, I will provide a code snippet exemplifying the issue, share relevant links and references, and discuss possible exploitation details.

Code Snippet

Before diving into the code snippet, it's essential to know what a "Use After Free" vulnerability is. A "Use After Free" vulnerability occurs when a program continues to use a memory pointer after it has been freed, potentially resulting in crashes, data corruption, or even the execution of arbitrary code by an attacker.

The following code snippet demonstrates a simplified example of a "Use After Free" vulnerability

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

class Object {
public:
    void do_something() {
        std::cout << "Doing something..." << std::endl;
    }
};

int main() {
    std::unique_ptr<Object> object_ptr = std::make_unique<Object>();
    Object* raw_object_ptr = object_ptr.get(); // Getting the raw pointer from the unique_ptr
    object_ptr.reset(); // Freeing the memory held by the unique_ptr

    // Use after free:
    raw_object_ptr->do_something(); // This will invoke undefined behavior since the memory has been freed

    return ;
}

In this code snippet, we have an Object class with a single method, do_something. We create a unique_ptr to manage this object, and then we get a raw pointer to the object itself. After that, the memory is freed using object_ptr.reset(). However, due to the raw pointer still holding the memory address, we can still call the do_something() method on the freed memory, leading to undefined behavior. While this is a simplistic example, it can give us an idea of how the vulnerability might look like within the more complex Google Chrome codebase, specifically within the "Dawn" component.

References and Links

The Chromium project itself provides a detailed explanation of this vulnerability along with other security issues discovered and patched. You can read more about the vulnerability under the "High" category labeled as "CVE-2024-5831: Use after free in the 'Dawn'" at the following Chromium link:

- Chromium Security Bugs Fixed

Exploit Details

The exploitation of this vulnerability could potentially begin with an attacker creating a malicious HTML page. Through cleverly crafting the page, the attacker could trigger a "Use After Free" vulnerability in Google Chrome by interacting with the "Dawn" component. In doing so, the attacker could induce heap corruption, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code or cause crashes in the browser.

A successful attack could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, data tampering, or even full system compromise if leveraged with other vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

The "Use After Free" vulnerability present in Google Chrome before version 126..6478.54 (CVE-2024-5831) serves as a reminder that even widely-used and well-maintained software can harbor hidden security flaws. It is crucial to regularly update your software to the latest version to stay protected. Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Chromium development team, this particular vulnerability was identified and patched. As an end-user, always keep your web browser up-to-date and exercise caution when visiting unfamiliar websites or interacting with untrusted content.

Timeline

Published on: 06/11/2024 21:15:54 UTC
Last modified on: 07/03/2024 02:09:17 UTC