CVE-2023-2313 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 07/29/2023
Inappropriate implementation in Sandbox in Google Chrome on Windows prior to 112.0.5615.49 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to perform arbitrary read/write via a malicious file. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2313 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's sandbox implementation on Windows operating systems. This issue affects versions prior to 112.0.5615.49 and constitutes a high-severity chromium security vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security boundaries designed to isolate browser processes. The flaw specifically targets the sandbox mechanism that is intended to contain potential exploits within the renderer process, preventing them from affecting the broader system or other processes. The vulnerability arises from an inappropriate implementation that fails to properly enforce access controls and memory protection boundaries within the sandbox environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows a remote attacker who has already compromised the renderer process to escalate privileges and perform arbitrary read/write operations on the system. This represents a significant bypass of Chrome's security architecture where the sandbox mechanism fails to properly contain malicious activities that originate from within the compromised renderer process. The attacker can leverage this flaw to access sensitive data, modify system files, or potentially execute additional malicious code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the sandbox's memory protection mechanisms and access control enforcement, creating a pathway for privilege escalation that undermines the entire security model of the browser's process isolation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a severe threat to user security and system integrity. The attack scenario requires an initial compromise of the renderer process, which is often achieved through drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, or other social engineering techniques. Once the attacker has gained control of the renderer process, they can exploit this vulnerability to break out of the sandbox and perform arbitrary system operations. This capability significantly increases the potential impact of browser-based attacks and can lead to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation. The vulnerability affects all Windows users running affected Chrome versions and represents a critical gap in the browser's security architecture that can be exploited by sophisticated threat actors.
The security implications of CVE-2023-2313 align with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control vulnerabilities, and reflects patterns commonly seen in sandbox escape attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege separation and memory protection in browser security architectures. Organizations should immediately update to Chrome version 112.0.5615.49 or later to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction once the initial compromise occurs. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within Chrome's security model and highlights the need for robust sandbox implementation that properly isolates different browser processes and prevents unauthorized access to system resources. Security teams should monitor for potential exploitation attempts and ensure all systems are updated to prevent attackers from leveraging this privilege escalation vulnerability to gain unauthorized system access.