A critical vulnerability designated as CVE-2024-12695 was recently discovered in V8, the open-source JavaScript engine powering Google Chrome. This vulnerability affects all versions of Google Chrome prior to 131..6778.204. The severity of this issue is high, as it allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page. In this post, we'll delve deeper into this vulnerability, its exploit details, and the code snippet.
Exploit Details
CVE-2024-12695 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in V8. An out-of-bounds write is a security issue where a program writes data to a buffer, but the program mistakenly writes data past the buffer's boundary. This can lead to memory corruption, crashes, or even arbitrary code execution if successfully exploited by an attacker.
In this specific vulnerability, a specially crafted HTML page containing malicious JavaScript code can trigger the out-of-bounds write. When a user visits such a page using a vulnerable version of Google Chrome, the attacker gains the ability to execute arbitrary code within the browser's sandbox.
Although the sandbox environment provides a layer of security, isolating the browser from the rest of the system, successful exploitation of this vulnerability still poses a significant risk. It may grant the attacker a foothold in the victim's system, possibly leading to further attacks and compromise.
Here's a simplified example of the vulnerable code
function vulnerableFunction(array) {
let index = array.length + 1;
array[index] = 42; // Out-of-bounds write
}
let maliciousArray = new Array(10);
vulnerableFunction(maliciousArray);
In this code snippet, vulnerableFunction() takes an array as a parameter and writes a value 42 at an out-of-bounds index. This example illustrates the basic concept of the out-of-bounds write present in the V8 vulnerability. Keep in mind that the actual vulnerability within V8 is much more sophisticated and complex.
Mitigation and Patching
Google has already addressed this vulnerability in Google Chrome version 131..6778.204. Users should immediately update to the latest version of Chrome to avoid any potential exploitation.
You can find the official patch details and commit in the Chromium project repository
Chromium Patch: Fix out-of-bounds write in V8
Conclusion
CVE-2024-12695 highlights the need for continuous security improvements and user vigilance in applying the latest patches. As browsers like Chrome continue to evolve and become more complex, new vulnerabilities are bound to emerge. Stay informed about security updates, and always make sure your software is up to-date.
Timeline
Published on: 12/18/2024 22:15:06 UTC
Last modified on: 01/06/2025 15:15:10 UTC