CVE-2019-13732 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free in WebAudio in Google Chrome prior to 79.0.3945.79 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13732 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebAudio component of Google Chrome browsers. This issue affects versions prior to 79.0.3945.79 and demonstrates how memory management errors in web browser components can lead to severe security implications. The vulnerability occurs when the browser processes crafted HTML pages that manipulate WebAudio API objects, creating conditions where freed memory regions are accessed after being deallocated. This particular flaw falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is classified as a common weakness in software security practices. The WebAudio API is designed to enable complex audio processing directly within web browsers, but this implementation contains a memory management error that allows attackers to manipulate the heap structure through malicious web content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting specific HTML pages that trigger the use-after-free condition within Chrome's WebAudio subsystem. When a user visits such a malicious page, the browser's JavaScript engine processes audio-related objects that are subsequently freed from memory but still referenced in the execution flow. This creates a scenario where attackers can write data to freed memory locations, potentially leading to heap corruption that may be leveraged for arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it a prime candidate for drive-by download attacks. The heap corruption can manifest in various ways including information disclosure, denial of service, or more critically, remote code execution depending on the attacker's ability to control memory layout.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-13732 extends beyond simple browser compromise as it affects millions of Chrome users globally who may encounter malicious content through various attack vectors including compromised websites, phishing campaigns, or malicious advertisements. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as exploitation relies on JavaScript execution within the browser context. The flaw demonstrates how modern web browsers, which are increasingly complex software systems, can contain memory safety issues that are difficult to detect through conventional testing methods. Security researchers have noted that such use-after-free vulnerabilities are particularly challenging to prevent because they often occur in complex code paths involving multiple layers of abstraction and asynchronous operations within the browser's audio processing pipeline.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 79.0.3945.79 or later where the memory management issues have been addressed. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious HTML content, using browser security extensions that limit audio API access, and maintaining awareness of potential phishing attempts that might deliver malicious web content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security auditing of browser components and adherence to secure coding practices, particularly when dealing with memory management in complex software systems. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of audio API usage that might indicate exploitation attempts.