CVE-2019-13689 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2023
Inappropriate implementation in OS in Google Chrome on ChromeOS prior to 75.0.3770.80 allowed a remote attacker to perform arbitrary read/write via a malicious file. (Chromium security severity: Critical)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the operating system implementation of Google Chrome on ChromeOS systems before version 75.0.3770.80. The issue stems from an inappropriate implementation that creates a pathway for remote attackers to execute arbitrary read and write operations through the manipulation of malicious files. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and memory management flaws that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability's classification as critical by Chromium security team indicates its severe potential impact on system integrity and user data confidentiality.
The technical implementation flaw occurs within the ChromeOS operating system's file handling mechanisms, where insufficient validation occurs when processing malicious files. Attackers can craft specially designed files that exploit the underlying OS implementation to bypass normal security boundaries and execute unauthorized operations. This vulnerability operates at a low system level within the ChromeOS architecture, potentially allowing attackers to read sensitive system files or write malicious code into system memory. The flaw essentially creates a privilege escalation vector that enables remote code execution capabilities without requiring local system access or user interaction.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or system corruption. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access to ChromeOS devices, potentially leading to full system compromise and data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects all ChromeOS devices running versions prior to 75.0.3770.80, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of ChromeOS in enterprise and educational environments. Organizations relying on ChromeOS for their computing infrastructure face significant risk exposure, as attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive organizational data and potentially move laterally within network environments.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate system updates to ChromeOS version 75.0.3770.80 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the implementation flaw. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all ChromeOS devices receive updates promptly. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous file access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-121 and CWE-122, which address buffer overflow and memory corruption issues. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques described in the attack tactics and techniques matrix under privilege escalation and remote code execution categories, specifically targeting the operating system layer rather than application-level vulnerabilities.