CVE-2015-2238 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Google V8 before 4.1.0.21, as used in Google Chrome before 41.0.2272.76, allow attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2238 represents a critical security flaw within Google V8 JavaScript engine, which serves as the core execution environment for Google Chrome browser and numerous other applications. This vulnerability affects V8 versions prior to 4.1.0.21 and specifically impacts Google Chrome versions before 41.0.2272.76, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system integrity. The unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities within this flaw class indicates that multiple distinct weakness patterns exist within the JavaScript engine's codebase, each potentially exploitable through different attack vectors.
The technical implementation of these vulnerabilities stems from the complex nature of JavaScript engine optimization and memory management within V8. These issues typically arise from improper handling of object references, memory allocation patterns, or optimization routines that fail to properly validate input data or maintain memory boundaries. The vulnerabilities manifest as potential for denial of service attacks through memory corruption or exploitation of optimization assumptions that break when encountering malformed input. The attack surface is particularly concerning because V8 is widely deployed across numerous applications beyond just web browsers, making the impact of these vulnerabilities far-reaching.
From an operational perspective, these vulnerabilities present substantial risk to organizations relying on affected versions of Google Chrome or applications built on V8 technology. Attackers could potentially leverage these flaws to execute denial of service attacks against web applications, causing service interruptions that impact availability. More critically, the description suggests potential for additional impacts beyond simple denial of service, which could include privilege escalation or remote code execution depending on the specific exploitation vectors. The widespread adoption of V8 across the web ecosystem means that exploitation of these vulnerabilities could affect millions of users and systems simultaneously.
The attack patterns associated with CVE-2015-2238 align with common exploitation techniques found in the ATT&CK framework under the 'Execution' and 'Persistence' domains, particularly through the use of browser-based exploits that leverage memory corruption vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities often map to CWE categories related to buffer overflows, memory corruption, and improper input validation. Organizations should consider implementing comprehensive patch management strategies and browser hardening measures to mitigate risk from these vulnerabilities. The remediation approach typically involves updating to patched versions of both the V8 engine and affected Chrome browser releases, while security teams should monitor for related exploitation attempts and implement network-based detection measures to identify potential exploitation activities.
This vulnerability exemplifies the challenges inherent in modern JavaScript engine security, where complex optimization routines and aggressive memory management can introduce subtle flaws that are difficult to detect through conventional testing methods. The implications extend beyond immediate exploitation risks to include potential long-term security implications for web application environments that rely on V8-based execution contexts. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation and implement layered security controls to protect against potential exploitation attempts while monitoring for similar vulnerabilities in other JavaScript engine implementations.