CVE-2015-7834 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Google V8 before 4.6.85.23, as used in Google Chrome before 46.0.2490.71, 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 • 06/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7834 represents a critical security flaw within Google V8 JavaScript engine version 4.6.85.23 and earlier, which was integrated into Google Chrome browser versions prior to 46.0.2490.71. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of unspecified flaws in the V8 engine, which serves as the backbone for JavaScript execution in Chrome and other Google products. The V8 engine is responsible for compiling and executing JavaScript code efficiently, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit execution flaws. The unspecified nature of these vulnerabilities indicates that they could potentially encompass multiple distinct attack vectors, making the threat assessment more complex and challenging for security professionals. These vulnerabilities were particularly concerning as they existed in widely used software components that form the foundation of web browser functionality and web application execution.
The technical flaw within V8's JavaScript engine stems from memory management and execution handling mechanisms that were not properly secured against malicious input. Attackers could leverage these unspecified vulnerabilities through crafted JavaScript code or web content that would trigger memory corruption or unexpected behavior within the engine. The vulnerability could manifest as memory access violations, heap corruption, or other internal engine failures that would cause the browser to crash or behave unpredictably. These issues are classified under CWE-119 as memory safety errors and could potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. The underlying architecture of V8's just-in-time compilation process creates numerous potential attack surfaces where improper bounds checking or memory handling could be exploited by malicious actors.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7834 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks that could compromise user systems. When exploited, these vulnerabilities could allow attackers to cause browser crashes, leading to service disruption, or in more severe cases, enable remote code execution. The widespread adoption of Chrome and the V8 engine meant that exploitation of this vulnerability could affect millions of users globally. The vulnerability's potential for causing denial of service attacks makes it particularly dangerous in environments where browser stability is crucial, such as enterprise settings or critical infrastructure. Additionally, the unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities suggests that attackers could potentially discover multiple exploitation techniques, increasing the overall risk profile and making it difficult to implement comprehensive defensive measures.
Organizations and users were strongly advised to upgrade to Chrome version 46.0.2490.71 or later to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2015-7834. The patch addresses the underlying memory management issues within the V8 engine and includes enhanced bounds checking and memory safety mechanisms. Security teams should prioritize this update as part of their vulnerability management processes, particularly in environments where users may be exposed to untrusted web content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing layered security approaches that include web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular security assessments. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and execution of malicious code through browser-based attacks, making it a significant concern for defensive security operations. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain incident response procedures for handling browser-based security incidents.