CVE-2014-1700 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in modules/speech/SpeechSynthesis.cpp in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 33.0.1750.149, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging improper handling of a certain utterance data structure.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The CVE-2014-1700 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the Blink rendering engine's speech synthesis module, specifically in the SpeechSynthesis.cpp file. This vulnerability exists in Google Chrome versions prior to 33.0.1750.149, making it a significant security concern for users running outdated browser versions. The flaw stems from improper memory management handling within the speech synthesis functionality that processes text-to-speech utterances, creating a scenario where freed memory locations can be accessed after their intended use period.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the Blink engine processes speech synthesis requests through the Web Speech API, which allows web applications to convert text into spoken audio. During the processing of utterance data structures, the system fails to properly manage the lifecycle of memory allocations associated with speech synthesis objects. When an utterance is processed and subsequently freed from memory, malicious web content can manipulate the timing and execution flow to access the freed memory location before it is properly deallocated. This improper handling creates a use-after-free condition that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to users as it can be leveraged by remote attackers through malicious web pages without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting the compromised site. The potential consequences range from denial of service attacks that crash the browser or render the speech synthesis functionality unusable, to more severe exploitation scenarios that could allow remote code execution. The unspecified nature of the other potential impacts suggests that attackers might be able to leverage this vulnerability for privilege escalation or information disclosure, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The vulnerability affects the core browser functionality and can compromise the entire user session.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory condition in software development. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a remote code execution technique through browser exploitation, often falling under the T1203 category for Exploitation for Client Execution. Mitigation strategies include immediate patching of Chrome browsers to version 33.0.1750.149 or later, which implements proper memory management controls and garbage collection mechanisms for speech synthesis objects. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to prevent access to known malicious domains. Browser hardening techniques including sandboxing, strict memory access controls, and automatic update mechanisms provide additional defense layers against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of outdated browser versions within organizational networks that might be susceptible to this and similar vulnerabilities.