CVE-2017-15410 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use after free in PDFium in Google Chrome prior to 63.0.3239.84 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted PDF file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15410 represents a critical use-after-free condition within PDFium, the PDF rendering library employed by Google Chrome and numerous other applications. This flaw exists in versions of Chrome prior to 63.0.3239.84 and enables remote code execution through maliciously crafted PDF files. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management during PDF document processing, specifically when handling certain embedded objects within PDF structures. When a PDF file contains specially constructed elements that trigger specific parsing sequences, the memory allocated for these objects can be freed prematurely while still being referenced elsewhere in the code execution path. This fundamental memory safety issue allows attackers to manipulate heap memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of PDF object references and their associated memory allocations within the PDFium library. When Chrome processes a crafted PDF, the parser encounters malformed or specially constructed objects that cause the memory management system to release memory blocks before all references to them are properly resolved. This creates a window where attackers can overwrite freed memory locations with malicious data, leading to heap corruption. The flaw aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how improper object lifecycle management can result in severe security implications. The attack vector requires only that a user opens a malicious PDF file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or malicious document delivery scenarios. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of memory management and object-oriented programming concepts where reference counting or garbage collection mechanisms fail to properly track object usage.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Chrome-based browsers for document processing and web browsing activities. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can compromise systems simply by having users open malicious PDF attachments or visit compromised websites hosting such documents. The heap corruption resulting from this vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, as attackers can leverage the freed memory locations to inject and execute malicious code. The attack surface extends beyond individual user machines to include enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently shared and processed. Security teams must consider that successful exploitation could result in persistent backdoors, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within network environments. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to techniques involving exploitation for privilege escalation and execution through legitimate system processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15410 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 63.0.3239.84 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying automated patch management solutions to ensure timely remediation. Additional defensive measures include implementing PDF sandboxing features, restricting PDF document handling in high-risk environments, and deploying content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious PDF files. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and deep packet inspection can help identify and prevent exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should focus on anomalous memory usage patterns and unexpected process behaviors that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of PDF processing workflows and user training programs about suspicious document attachments further reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise.