CVE-2020-6532 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use after free in SCTP in Google Chrome prior to 84.0.4147.105 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-6532 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the Stream Control Transmission Protocol implementation in Google Chrome browser. This issue affects versions prior to 84.0.4147.105 and demonstrates a classic memory safety vulnerability that can be exploited remotely. The flaw occurs when the browser processes SCTP connections, which are typically used for reliable data transmission in web applications, particularly in scenarios involving WebRTC communications. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management where freed memory regions are still accessed by subsequent operations, creating opportunities for malicious code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory conditions. In the context of Chrome's SCTP implementation, an attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that triggers the exploitation of this memory management flaw. When the browser processes the crafted page, it likely initiates SCTP connection handling that leads to memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory locations. This pattern creates a heap corruption scenario where the attacker can manipulate the memory layout to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-6532 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that can be leveraged for full system compromise. Attackers can utilize this vulnerability to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms. The remote exploitation capability means that users can be compromised simply by visiting a malicious website without any additional interaction required. This vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on real-time communication protocols and demonstrates how underlying network protocol implementations can serve as attack surfaces for sophisticated adversaries.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as part of the broader category of memory corruption flaws that represent the most common attack vectors in modern exploit development. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" where attackers leverage browser-based scripting environments to execute malicious code. The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate browser updates to version 84.0.4147.105 or later, which includes memory management fixes and improved heap safety mechanisms. Organizations should implement proactive security measures such as browser hardening configurations, network monitoring for suspicious SCTP traffic patterns, and regular security patch management to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.