CVE-2017-15411 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 CVE-2017-15411 represents a critical use-after-free condition within PDFium, the PDF rendering library employed by Google Chrome and numerous other applications. This flaw emerged in versions prior to Chrome 63.0.3239.84 and enabled remote attackers to manipulate heap memory through maliciously crafted PDF files. The underlying issue stems from improper memory management during PDF document processing, specifically when handling certain object references that remain accessible after their associated memory has been freed. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can lead to arbitrary code execution when exploited by attackers who craft malicious PDF content designed to trigger the vulnerable code path.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free errors where program memory is accessed after it has been freed, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The flaw occurs during PDF parsing operations when PDFium fails to properly manage object lifecycles, particularly in scenarios involving complex PDF structures such as embedded objects, cross-references, or compressed content streams. When a malicious PDF contains specially crafted references that point to freed memory locations, the renderer may attempt to access this corrupted memory, leading to heap corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to users of affected Chrome versions as it requires no user interaction beyond opening a malicious PDF file, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or exploit delivery scenarios. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver malicious PDFs through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites without requiring local access to the target system. The heap corruption resulting from this use-after-free condition can manifest in various ways including application crashes, memory corruption, or more critically, full system compromise when combined with other exploitation techniques. Organizations running affected Chrome versions face potential data breaches, unauthorized access, and system compromise risks, particularly in environments where users regularly interact with PDF documents from untrusted sources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-15411 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment to upgrade to Chrome 63.0.3239.84 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed. Security administrators should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing PDF sandboxing features, deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious PDF content, and establishing user education programs to avoid opening suspicious PDF files. Network-level protections such as content filtering and email scanning can help prevent delivery of malicious PDFs to end users. Organizations should also consider implementing browser hardening techniques and monitoring for unusual PDF-related activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper memory management practices in software development, particularly for libraries handling untrusted input data such as PDF documents.