CVE-2018-6087 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A use-after-free in WebAssembly in Google Chrome prior to 66.0.3359.106 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6087 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Google Chrome's WebAssembly implementation that existed prior to version 66.0.3359.106. This issue falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, creating potential exploitation vectors for remote attackers. The flaw was particularly dangerous because it occurred within the WebAssembly subsystem, a component designed to provide high-performance execution of web applications while maintaining strict sandboxing boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious HTML page triggers a specific sequence of operations that causes the WebAssembly engine to free memory associated with object references while other code paths still attempt to access that same memory location. This memory management error creates a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the freed memory region to inject and execute arbitrary code within Chrome's sandboxed environment. The vulnerability demonstrates how complex subsystems like WebAssembly, which are designed to provide secure execution contexts, can still contain fundamental memory safety issues that bypass security boundaries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to users because it enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage. The attack vector is particularly insidious as it leverages the legitimate WebAssembly functionality that many modern web applications depend upon, making it difficult for security systems to distinguish between benign and malicious usage patterns. The sandbox escape capability means that successful exploitation could potentially allow attackers to bypass Chrome's security model entirely, accessing system resources that should remain isolated from web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6087 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 66.0.3359.106 or later, which includes memory safety improvements and heap management fixes specifically addressing the use-after-free condition. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious WebAssembly-related activities. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems that can identify attempts to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities. The remediation process aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation would likely involve executing malicious code through the compromised browser environment, making proactive patch management essential for maintaining security posture against such sophisticated attacks.