CVE-2015-6780 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the Infobars implementation in Google Chrome before 47.0.2526.73 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted web site, related to browser/ui/views/website_settings/website_settings_popup_view.cc.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2022
The CVE-2015-6780 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Google Chrome's Infobars implementation, specifically affecting versions prior to 47.0.2526.73. This vulnerability resides in the browser/ui/views/website_settings/website_settings_popup_view.cc component, which handles the display of website settings and security information to users. The flaw occurs when the browser processes malicious web content that triggers improper memory management during the rendering of infobar elements, creating a scenario where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions that represent one of the most dangerous classes of memory corruption vulnerabilities. The attack vector leverages remote code execution through crafted web pages, making it particularly dangerous as users can be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites without any additional interaction required.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating the browser's infobar rendering system to trigger a race condition or improper memory deallocation sequence. When Chrome processes a malicious website that attempts to manipulate the website settings popup view, the underlying memory management code fails to properly validate the lifecycle of objects within the infobar component. This allows attackers to potentially overwrite freed memory with malicious data or cause the browser to access invalid memory addresses, leading to unpredictable behavior. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service as it could potentially enable remote code execution or privilege escalation depending on the execution context and memory layout. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code through browser-based exploitation techniques.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users who browse the internet without up-to-date security patches, particularly in enterprise environments where browser updates may be delayed or managed through centralized systems. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can compromise systems simply by hosting malicious content on compromised websites or through drive-by download scenarios. Organizations that rely heavily on Chrome for business operations face potential exposure to data breaches, system compromise, or denial of service attacks. The impact is particularly severe because infobars are frequently displayed during normal browsing activities, making the attack surface larger than typical memory corruption vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that attackers may be able to leverage this flaw for more sophisticated attacks beyond simple denial of service, potentially including privilege escalation or information disclosure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-6780 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 47.0.2526.73 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement robust patch management procedures to ensure all browser installations remain current with security updates. Additional defensive measures include deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious content, implementing browser security policies that restrict access to potentially dangerous websites, and monitoring for unusual browser behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing measures and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the need for comprehensive browser hardening practices. Organizations should also maintain detailed incident response procedures that account for browser-based vulnerabilities, as these incidents often require specialized forensic analysis to determine the full scope of compromise and ensure complete remediation.