CVE-2015-8548 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Google V8 before 4.7.80.23, as used in Google Chrome before 47.0.2526.80, allow attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have other impact via unknown vectors, a different issue than CVE-2015-8478.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8548 represents a critical security flaw affecting Google V8 JavaScript engine versions prior to 4.7.80.23, which was integrated into Google Chrome browser versions before 47.0.2526.80. This vulnerability classifies under the broader category of unspecified flaws that can potentially lead to denial of service conditions or more severe impacts through unknown attack vectors. The V8 engine serves as the core JavaScript execution engine for Chrome and other Google products, making this vulnerability particularly concerning given its widespread usage and integration across multiple platforms and applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from multiple unspecified weaknesses within the V8 JavaScript engine implementation that were not fully detailed in the initial CVE description. These unspecified vulnerabilities typically indicate complex issues within the engine's memory management, object handling, or execution flow that could be exploited through carefully crafted JavaScript code or web content. The vulnerability's classification as affecting "multiple unspecified vulnerabilities" suggests that attackers could potentially leverage various attack surfaces within the V8 engine to achieve their objectives, which may include crashing the browser process, causing memory corruption, or potentially executing arbitrary code. This type of vulnerability often manifests through heap-based buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory safety issues that are common in complex JavaScript engines.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8548 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as indicated by the description suggesting "possibly have other impact." This implies that successful exploitation could potentially lead to more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, or complete browser compromise. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities through malicious websites or web applications that utilize JavaScript to trigger the vulnerable code paths within V8. The vulnerability's presence in widely used browsers like Chrome means that exploitation could affect millions of users, making it a significant concern for both individual users and enterprise environments. The fact that this issue is separate from CVE-2015-8478 indicates that it represents a distinct attack surface within the V8 engine, requiring specific patches and mitigations.
Organizations and users affected by CVE-2015-8548 should prioritize immediate remediation through updating to patched versions of both the V8 engine and Google Chrome browser. The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the security patches released by Google, which would include updating to Chrome version 47.0.2526.80 or later and ensuring that the underlying V8 engine is updated to version 4.7.80.23 or higher. Security administrators should also implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious JavaScript payloads. Additionally, browser hardening techniques including disabling unnecessary JavaScript features, implementing strict content security policies, and using sandboxing mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework and represents typical memory safety issues that fall under CWE categories related to memory corruption vulnerabilities.
The broader implications of CVE-2015-8548 demonstrate the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software components, particularly in complex systems like web browsers that integrate multiple layers of software. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the ongoing security challenges in modern web environments where JavaScript engines form the core execution environment for web applications. The complexity of modern JavaScript engines like V8 makes them attractive targets for attackers seeking to exploit memory safety issues, as these engines often contain hundreds of thousands of lines of code with complex interaction patterns. Organizations should maintain robust patch management processes and security monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to similar vulnerabilities in the future, while also considering the implementation of security controls that can mitigate the impact of zero-day vulnerabilities that may not yet have patches available.