CVE-2018-10798 in Brave
Summary
by MITRE
A hang issue was discovered in Brave before 0.14.0 (on, for example, Linux). The vulnerability is caused by mishandling of JavaScript code that triggers the reload of a page continuously with an interval of 1 second.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10798 represents a critical denial of service flaw in the Brave browser version 0.14.0 and earlier releases on Linux systems. This issue stems from improper handling of JavaScript code that creates an infinite loop of page reloads occurring at one-second intervals. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-400, which addresses uncontrolled resource consumption, specifically targeting the browser's rendering engine and resource management capabilities. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious JavaScript code that continuously triggers page reloads, effectively causing the browser to become unresponsive or hang indefinitely.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the browser's JavaScript execution environment where specific code patterns can cause the page reload mechanism to malfunction. When JavaScript code executes with improper interval handling or recursive reload calls, it creates a condition where the browser attempts to reload the same page repeatedly without proper termination conditions. This behavior consumes excessive CPU resources and memory allocation, leading to system performance degradation and eventual browser hang. The vulnerability specifically affects Linux implementations of Brave browser, indicating potential differences in how the operating system handles process management and resource allocation compared to other platforms.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant risks to user experience and system stability. Users encountering malicious content may experience complete browser freeze, requiring manual intervention to terminate the problematic process. The one-second interval timing suggests the attack could be designed to avoid detection by simple heuristic analysis while still causing substantial disruption. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability provides a reliable method for causing denial of service against Brave browser users, potentially affecting productivity and creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. The impact extends beyond individual user inconvenience to potential large-scale disruption in environments where multiple users access the same malicious content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-10798 should prioritize immediate software updates to Brave version 0.14.0 or later, which contain fixes addressing the JavaScript execution handling. Browser administrators should implement content filtering and sandboxing measures to prevent execution of untrusted JavaScript code. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a specific implementation of resource exhaustion through malicious code execution. Organizations should also consider implementing browser security policies that limit JavaScript execution frequency and implement monitoring for unusual reload patterns. Additionally, users should be educated about avoiding suspicious websites and content that might contain malicious JavaScript payloads designed to exploit such vulnerabilities.