CVE-2023-3420 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2023
Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 114.0.5735.198 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3420 represents a critical type confusion flaw within the V8 JavaScript engine used in Google Chrome browsers. This issue stems from improper handling of object types during JavaScript execution, creating a condition where the engine incorrectly interprets data types, leading to potential memory corruption. The vulnerability affects Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.198 and has been classified with a high severity rating by Chromium security team, indicating significant risk to user systems.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the V8 engine's type system implementation where it fails to properly validate type transitions during object operations. When processing maliciously crafted HTML content, the engine may confuse object types and execute operations on memory locations that do not match the expected data structure. This type confusion creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory layout and potentially execute arbitrary code. The flaw typically manifests during dynamic type operations where objects undergo rapid type transitions without proper validation checks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote code execution attacks through web-based exploitation vectors, making it particularly dangerous for end users. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that, when loaded in affected Chrome versions, trigger the type confusion condition. The heap corruption resulting from this flaw can lead to privilege escalation, data theft, or complete system compromise depending on the execution context. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it a serious concern for web security.
The impact of CVE-2023-3420 aligns with CWE-466, which specifically addresses the issue of "Incorrect Handling of Type Confusion," and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, "Exploitation for Client Execution." Organizations should immediately update to Chrome version 114.0.5735.198 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing strict content security policies, enabling sandboxing features, and deploying web application firewalls. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and browser security logging. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping browser software updated and maintaining robust security monitoring practices to prevent successful exploitation of JavaScript engine vulnerabilities.