CVE-2018-6067 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect IPC serialization in Skia 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 • 06/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6067 resides within the Skia graphics rendering engine component of Google Chrome, specifically manifesting as an incorrect inter-process communication serialization flaw. This issue affects Chrome versions prior to 65.0.3325.146 and represents a critical security weakness that could enable remote code execution through carefully crafted web content. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of serialized data structures during IPC operations, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Skia serves as a fundamental graphics library that handles rendering operations for web content, making this flaw particularly dangerous as it operates at a core system level.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption through improper serialization of IPC messages that traverse between Chrome's renderer processes and its sandboxed components. When processing certain HTML elements or graphics operations, the Skia library fails to properly validate or sanitize serialized data structures, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can overwrite critical memory regions. This flaw operates under the broader category of heap corruption vulnerabilities, specifically aligning with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a remote attacker to craft a malicious HTML page that triggers the flawed serialization path, typically involving complex graphics operations or specific canvas manipulations that force the Skia engine to process untrusted data through vulnerable IPC channels.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-6067 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that can bypass modern browser security mitigations including address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised browser process, potentially leading to full system compromise when combined with additional exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's remote nature means that users need only visit a malicious website to be at risk, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this vulnerability maps to technique T1059.007 for command and script injection through browser-based attacks, while also supporting T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. The flaw demonstrates how graphics rendering libraries can serve as unexpected attack surfaces, particularly when they handle complex data serialization processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6067 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 65.0.3325.146 or later, which contain patches addressing the IPC serialization issues in the Skia component. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all affected Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional protective measures include enabling Chrome's built-in security features such as sandboxing, site isolation, and strict content security policies. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls and network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments of graphics libraries and rendering engines, as these components often receive less scrutiny than core browser functionality. Security teams should implement monitoring for unusual graphics processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also maintaining updated threat intelligence feeds to identify related attack patterns and indicators of compromise.