CVE-2019-5877 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Out of bounds memory access in JavaScript in Google Chrome prior to 77.0.3865.75 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-5877 represents a critical out-of-bounds memory access flaw within the JavaScript engine of Google Chrome browser versions prior to 77.0.3865.75. This issue stems from improper memory management during JavaScript execution, specifically when processing crafted HTML content that triggers heap corruption conditions. The vulnerability manifests as a memory access violation that occurs outside the bounds of allocated memory regions, creating potential exploitation vectors for remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the JavaScript engine's handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes when parsing malicious HTML content. When Chrome processes specially crafted web pages containing specific JavaScript constructs, the engine fails to properly validate memory boundaries during object manipulation, leading to unauthorized memory access patterns. This flaw operates at the intersection of memory safety and JavaScript interpretation, where the engine's garbage collector and memory allocator do not adequately protect against buffer overflows or underflows during dynamic memory operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote code execution capabilities for attackers who can successfully craft malicious web pages designed to trigger the specific memory access pattern. The heap corruption resulting from this out-of-bounds access can potentially be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations, including function pointers or return addresses, allowing attackers to redirect execution flow and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. This represents a significant threat to user security as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript-based execution. Security researchers have documented that exploitation typically involves crafting HTML pages with specific JavaScript objects that cause the browser engine to access memory locations beyond their allocated boundaries. The impact extends beyond simple memory corruption as it can lead to complete browser compromise, potentially allowing attackers to access user data, cookies, and other sensitive information stored within the browser environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-5877 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 77.0.3865.75 and later, which include memory safety improvements and enhanced bounds checking mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls, implementing content security policies, and utilizing browser hardening techniques such as sandboxing and strict memory protection mechanisms. Network-level monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous memory access patterns or unusual JavaScript execution behavior. The vulnerability underscores the importance of regular security updates and demonstrates how seemingly minor memory management flaws can result in significant security implications for web-based applications and user environments.