Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers, and it uses the V8 engine to execute JavaScript code within the browser. Recently, a critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-7971) was discovered in the V8 engine of Google Chrome versions before 128..6613.84. This vulnerability can lead to heap corruption when a malicious HTML page is crafted, which could potentially allow a remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to the victim's system. In this post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability, including code snippets, links to original references, and exploit details. Note that the Chromium security team considers this severity: High.

Vulnerability Summary

Type confusion in V8 Engine within Google Chrome versions before 128..6613.84 enabled a remote attacker to exploit heap corruption via a specifically crafted HTML page. The vulnerability lies in the improper handling of specific JavaScript objects, which could cause confusion between object types and lead to a corrupt memory heap.

As a point of reference, heap corruption occurs when a program mismanages memory allocations, leading to unexpected behavior, crashes, or incorrect data being read or written. Type confusion vulnerabilities are a subclass of memory safety issues that occur when a program reads or writes memory corresponding to a different type than what was intended.

Exploit Details

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to create a malicious HTML page containing JavaScript code designed to trigger the type confusion vulnerability. Once the victim loads this HTML page, the malicious JavaScript code would execute, causing heap corruption and potentially granting the attacker unauthorized access to the victim's system.

Please note that for educational purposes, we will not provide a full exploit code. Nevertheless, here's a simplified code snippet that demonstrates the type confusion in action:

// Simplified proof-of-concept for CVE-2024-7971

class TypeConfused {
  constructor() {
    this.typeA = new ArrayBuffer(8);
    this.typeB = new Uint32Array(2);
  }

  triggerTypeConfusion() {
    ...
  }
}

let confusedInstance = new TypeConfused();
confusedInstance.triggerTypeConfusion();

In this example, the triggerTypeConfusion function would contain code that manipulates the TypeConfused object, causing confusion between typeA and typeB. This confusion would eventually lead to a corrupted memory heap.

Original References

1. Google Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop (128..6613.84): https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_09.html

2. Chromium Security Vulnerability Rewards Program: https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/vulnerability-rewards-program

Patch and Mitigation

To protect yourself from this vulnerability, ensure that you update Google Chrome to the latest version (128..6613.84 or later) as soon as possible. Google has already released a patch addressing this vulnerability in the mentioned version. You can check and update your Google Chrome version by navigating to "Help" > "About Google Chrome" in the browser menu.

Additionally, remain cautious when interacting with unfamiliar HTML pages and avoid clicking on suspicious links that could potentially trigger the exploit. Always maintain up-to-date anti-malware and anti-virus software on your system to protect against other threats.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-7971 is a high-severity type confusion vulnerability in the V8 engine of Google Chrome versions prior to 128..6613.84. By exploiting this vulnerability via a crafted HTML page, a remote attacker could potentially gain unauthorized access to the victim's system. To protect yourself from this vulnerability, update Google Chrome to the latest version and remain vigilant when interacting with web content from untrusted sources.

Timeline

Published on: 08/21/2024 21:15:09 UTC
Last modified on: 08/27/2024 01:00:02 UTC