CVE-2018-16067 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A use after free in WebAudio in Google Chrome prior to 69.0.3497.81 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16067 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebAudio component of Google Chrome browser versions prior to 69.0.3497.81. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory that has already been freed, creating opportunities for memory corruption and potential code execution. The WebAudio API implementation in Chrome was particularly susceptible to this issue due to improper memory management during audio processing operations. The flaw specifically manifests when malicious HTML pages attempt to manipulate audio buffer objects in ways that trigger the freeing of memory regions while still maintaining references to them. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions that occur when memory is freed and then accessed subsequently.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides remote attackers with potential pathways for arbitrary code execution on affected systems. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that, when loaded in Chrome, trigger the use-after-free condition through carefully constructed audio processing operations. The heap corruption resulting from this flaw can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory structures, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex multimedia APIs that handle sensitive memory operations, particularly when these APIs are exposed to untrusted web content. This issue represents a classic example of how browser security vulnerabilities can be exploited through the manipulation of web standards and APIs that are designed to be safe for untrusted content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-16067 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions that contain the necessary patches and memory management fixes. Google released Chrome version 69.0.3497.81 with specific fixes addressing the memory management issues within the WebAudio implementation. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies to ensure all users are protected against this vulnerability. Additional defensive measures include browser hardening configurations, sandboxing mechanisms, and network-based security controls that can detect and block malicious web content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of continuous security testing and code review processes for browser components, particularly those handling multimedia processing. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving exploitation of memory corruption flaws and can be classified under the T1059.007 sub-technique for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may use the compromised browser to execute additional malicious payloads. The remediation process should also include monitoring for indicators of compromise related to exploitation attempts and implementing web application firewalls to prevent access to known malicious domains.