CVE-2018-6158 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A race condition in Oilpan in Google Chrome prior to 68.0.3440.75 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-6158 represents a critical race condition flaw within Oilpan, Google Chrome's garbage collection system that governs memory management for web content. This issue emerged in Chrome versions prior to 68.0.3440.75 and created a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate heap memory through carefully constructed HTML content. The race condition specifically occurred during the interaction between JavaScript execution and memory deallocation processes, where timing dependencies could lead to unpredictable memory states. The flaw was categorized under CWE-362, which describes concurrent execution using shared data structures without proper synchronization mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in browser environments where multiple threads and processes must coordinate seamlessly.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involved leveraging the timing gaps in Oilpan's memory management routines to trigger heap corruption during garbage collection cycles. When Chrome processed malicious HTML pages containing specific JavaScript constructs, the race condition could cause memory pointers to become invalid or point to already freed memory regions. This created opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. The vulnerability was particularly insidious because it required minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it suitable for drive-by attacks. The flaw exploited the fundamental memory management principles that Chrome relies upon for maintaining web page stability and security isolation between different browsing contexts.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability posed significant risks to users of affected Chrome versions, as it could be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user consent. The potential for heap corruption meant that attackers could manipulate memory contents to execute malicious code with the privileges of the browser process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations relying on Chrome for web-based operations faced elevated risk profiles, as the vulnerability could be exploited through phishing campaigns, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites. The remote exploitation capability meant that attackers could target users from anywhere on the internet, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users regularly access untrusted web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6158 centered primarily on updating to Chrome version 68.0.3440.75 or later, which contained the necessary patches to resolve the race condition in Oilpan's memory management system. Security administrators should have implemented immediate patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems were updated promptly. Additional protective measures included enabling Chrome's built-in security features such as sandboxing, which provided additional isolation between browser processes and the underlying operating system. Network security controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems could help reduce exposure by blocking access to known malicious domains. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing comprehensive patch management programs to protect against similar race condition vulnerabilities in memory management systems. Organizations should have also considered implementing browser hardening techniques and monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability served as a reminder of the critical importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in concurrent programming environments and the potential consequences when such protections fail in complex software systems like modern web browsers.