CVE-2018-6064 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Type Confusion in the implementation of __defineGetter__ in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 65.0.3325.146 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2018-6064 represents a critical type confusion issue within the V8 JavaScript engine implementation of the _defineGetter_ method in Google Chrome versions prior to 65.0.3325.146. This flaw resides in the core JavaScript engine that powers Chrome's web browser and Node.js environments, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring any local privileges. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-479 category of Type Confusion, which occurs when a program incorrectly handles data types, leading to unexpected behavior and potential code execution. The issue specifically manifests in how V8 manages object property definitions and type information during runtime operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious HTML pages that trigger improper type handling when the _defineGetter_ method is invoked on JavaScript objects. When Chrome processes such crafted content, the V8 engine's type system becomes confused about the expected data types, causing memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code. The heap corruption aspect indicates that the vulnerability affects memory management operations within the JavaScript engine's memory allocator, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate heap objects and overwrite critical memory regions. This type confusion typically occurs when the engine fails to properly validate or maintain type consistency during dynamic property assignment operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6064 extends beyond simple browser compromise as it represents a remote code execution vulnerability that can be delivered through standard web browsing activities. Attackers can exploit this through drive-by downloads, malicious websites, or compromised web applications without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious page. The vulnerability affects all users of affected Chrome versions, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious content through various channels. The exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation, as the attacker gains the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6064 primarily focus on immediate remediation through Chrome version updates to 65.0.3325.146 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the type confusion in V8's _defineGetter_ implementation. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional defensive measures include deploying web application firewalls, implementing content security policies, and restricting access to known malicious domains. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework's T1203 technique for Exploitation for Client Execution highlights the importance of browser hardening and sandboxing measures. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous JavaScript execution patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while security teams should maintain awareness of related vulnerabilities in the V8 engine ecosystem that may present similar attack vectors.