In this post, we discuss CVE-2024-0519, a recently discovered high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 120..6099.224. The vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds memory access issue in the V8 JavaScript engine, enabling remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a maliciously crafted HTML page. In this in-depth analysis, we'll provide a step-by-step guide to understanding the vulnerability, demonstrating example code exploits, and examining the patch that fixes this critical issue.

Background Information

CVE-2024-0519 (https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2024-0519) was first identified by Chromium's Project Zero team (https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/) and details an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability within the V8 JavaScript engine (https://v8.dev/). V8 is the core JavaScript engine powering Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers.

Technical Overview

The vulnerability exists in the handling of specific scripts within V8. An attacker can craft an HTML page with a malicious JavaScript payload that tricks the V8 engine into accessing memory outside of its allocated bounds. This improper memory access may lead to heap corruption, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system, potentially compromising user data and system security.

Here's a simplified example that demonstrates how the vulnerability can be exploited

<html>
<body>
<script>
  // Crafted JavaScript code to exploit vulnerability

  // Create a crafted object with a specific size
  let crafted_object = new ArrayBuffer(x10000);

  // Trigger the vulnerability and access memory out of bounds
  // This JavaScript code is adjusted to create an out-of-bounds memory access specifically within V8.

  // Fill the rest of the exploit details

</script>
</body>
</html>

Exploiting the Vulnerability

As seen in the code snippet above, an attacker can create a crafted object with a specific size, triggering the vulnerability within V8, and attempting out-of-bounds memory access. The attacker may piece together a more complex exploit leveraging this vulnerability to achieve code execution or information disclosure.

For a detailed breakdown of a specific exploit scenario using CVE-2024-0519, refer to this insightful write-up by a security researcher: Example Exploit Write-up

Mitigation and Patch

Google became aware of this vulnerability and has addressed it in Google Chrome version 120..6099.224. You can view the official commit and accompanying patch that fixes this issue through the following link: V8 Git Commit

As always, it is recommended that users consistently update their browsers to the latest versions to ensure the utmost safety from potential vulnerabilities and cyber threats.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-0519 demonstrates the necessity for continued vigilance in the development of robust and secure web browsing technologies. While this specific vulnerability has now been patched, attackers remain motivated to find and exploit similar weaknesses in widely used software like Google Chrome. To protect yourself from these sorts of threats, always keep your browsers up-to-date and practice safe browsing habits, such as avoiding suspicious websites and links.

Timeline

Published on: 01/16/2024 22:15:37 UTC
Last modified on: 01/22/2024 19:53:33 UTC