CVE-2013-6624 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 31.0.1650.48 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors involving the string values of id attributes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2021
The CVE-2013-6624 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 31.0.1650.48 that demonstrates the dangerous consequences of improper memory management in web browsers. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of string values within id attributes, exposing a fundamental flaw in how Chrome processes and manages memory for DOM elements. The issue arises when the browser attempts to free memory associated with an object that is subsequently accessed, creating a scenario where attackers can manipulate memory state through carefully crafted web content. Such vulnerabilities fall under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free conditions, which are particularly dangerous because they can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage these memory corruption issues to execute malicious payloads through web-based attack vectors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Chrome encounters malformed HTML content containing id attributes with specific string values that trigger the use-after-free condition during the rendering process. When a web page contains maliciously crafted id attributes, the browser's JavaScript engine processes these values and subsequently frees associated memory structures. However, if the application logic continues to reference this freed memory location, the system becomes vulnerable to memory corruption. Attackers can manipulate the browser's memory layout to cause the freed memory to be reallocated for malicious purposes, potentially leading to code execution or denial of service. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the use-after-free condition could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, representing a severe security risk in the context of modern web browsing environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-6624 is substantial given Chrome's widespread adoption and the nature of the vulnerability. As one of the most commonly used web browsers globally, any vulnerability that allows remote code execution or persistent denial of service affects millions of users simultaneously. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can deliver malicious payloads through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or malicious advertising networks where attackers can leverage the flaw to compromise user systems. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that beyond the immediate denial of service or code execution, it could potentially lead to privilege escalation or information disclosure, making it a prime target for advanced persistent threat actors. Organizations relying on Chrome for business operations face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data or to establish persistent backdoors within network environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6624 require immediate patch management and browser updates to address the underlying memory management flaw. Organizations should prioritize updating to Chrome version 31.0.1650.48 or later, which includes the necessary memory safety improvements and heap management fixes. Browser vendors and security teams should implement additional security measures such as address space layout randomization, stack canaries, and heap integrity checks to reduce the exploitability of similar vulnerabilities. Network security controls including web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and blocking suspicious web content that might trigger such memory corruption conditions. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should include evaluation of browser memory management vulnerabilities, particularly focusing on DOM manipulation and attribute handling functions. The vulnerability underscores the importance of implementing robust memory safety practices in web browser development and highlights the necessity of continuous security monitoring and rapid response to emerging threats in the browser security landscape.