CVE-2023-4354 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/15/2023
Heap buffer overflow in Skia in Google Chrome prior to 116.0.5845.96 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4354 represents a critical heap buffer overflow within the Skia graphics library component that forms part of Google Chrome's rendering infrastructure. This flaw exists in versions prior to 116.0.5845.96 and constitutes a high-severity issue according to Chromium's security classification. The vulnerability arises from insufficient bounds checking during heap memory allocation operations within the Skia graphics engine, which is responsible for handling graphics rendering tasks across the web browser's user interface and web content processing.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the Skia library's heap allocation mechanisms. When processing crafted HTML content, the renderer process fails to properly validate buffer boundaries during memory operations, creating conditions where malicious input can overwrite adjacent heap memory locations. This heap corruption vulnerability specifically manifests when the graphics rendering subsystem encounters malformed or specially constructed HTML elements that trigger the flawed memory handling code path. The flaw operates at the intersection of memory safety and graphics processing, where the Skia library's heap management routines do not adequately protect against buffer overflows during dynamic memory allocation scenarios.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Chrome users as it requires only a compromised renderer process to achieve exploitation. In practice, this means that an attacker who has already gained execution control within the browser's sandboxed renderer environment can leverage this heap overflow to potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The exploitation chain typically involves crafting malicious HTML content that, when rendered by Chrome, triggers the vulnerable Skia code path. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns classified under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for script-based execution and T1566 for social engineering via malicious content delivery. The vulnerability's classification as CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow demonstrates its fundamental nature as a memory safety issue that allows attackers to manipulate heap memory structures.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution as the heap corruption can lead to various security consequences including privilege escalation, denial of service, or potential information disclosure. Attackers can exploit the heap overflow to overwrite critical memory structures, potentially redirecting execution flow or corrupting data within the browser process. The vulnerability's severity classification as high reflects its potential for remote code execution when combined with other attack vectors, particularly since the renderer process already operates with reduced system privileges that can be escalated through such memory corruption exploits. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability provides a direct pathway for attackers to compromise browser security boundaries and potentially escalate privileges within the compromised system environment.