CVE-2017-5068 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect handling of picture ID in WebRTC in Google Chrome prior to 58.0.3029.96 for Mac, Windows, and Linux allowed a remote attacker to trigger a race condition via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5068 represents a critical race condition flaw in Google Chrome's WebRTC implementation affecting versions prior to 58.0.3029.96 across multiple operating systems. This issue specifically manifests in the incorrect handling of picture IDs within the WebRTC framework, creating a security weakness that remote attackers can exploit through carefully crafted HTML pages. The race condition occurs when multiple threads attempt to access shared resources without proper synchronization mechanisms, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential system compromise. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-362 category of Race Conditions, which is a well-documented weakness where concurrent operations can lead to security flaws due to improper ordering or synchronization of access to shared resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a remote attacker constructing a malicious HTML page that triggers the race condition within Chrome's WebRTC processing pipeline. When the browser encounters such a crafted page, the improper handling of picture IDs causes concurrent threads to interfere with each other during the processing of WebRTC media streams. This interference can result in memory corruption, arbitrary code execution, or other unintended behaviors that compromise the browser's integrity. The race condition typically occurs during the initialization or processing phases of WebRTC media handling, where picture ID management is crucial for maintaining proper stream synchronization and data flow. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious code with the privileges of the browser user, potentially leading to full system compromise or data exfiltration.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5068 extends beyond simple browser exploitation as it affects a core component of modern web communication protocols. WebRTC technology is extensively used for real-time communication in web applications, video conferencing platforms, and collaborative tools, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous. The race condition can be triggered through simple web browsing activities, meaning users need only visit a malicious website to be compromised. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566.001 for Phishing, as it enables remote code execution through web-based attack vectors. The flaw's impact is significant because it affects all supported operating systems including Mac, Windows, and Linux, creating a widespread attack surface that requires immediate remediation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-5068 primarily focus on immediate software updates and browser hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating Google Chrome to version 58.0.3029.96 or later, which includes the necessary patches to address the race condition in WebRTC picture ID handling. Additional protective measures include implementing browser security policies such as disabling WebRTC when not required, using network segmentation to limit exposure, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious HTML content. Security teams should also consider monitoring for unusual WebRTC activity patterns and implementing user education programs to avoid visiting untrusted websites. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in concurrent programming and underscores the need for thorough testing of multi-threaded applications. Organizations should also maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to monitor for related exploitation attempts and ensure that their incident response procedures include specific protocols for handling browser-based race condition vulnerabilities.