CVE-2023-5217 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Heap buffer overflow in vp8 encoding in libvpx in Google Chrome prior to 117.0.5938.132 and libvpx 1.13.1 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 • 06/17/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2023-5217 represents a critical heap buffer overflow flaw within the vp8 video encoding component of libvpx library that affects Google Chrome versions prior to 117.0.5938.132 and libvpx version 1.13.1. This issue resides in the video processing pipeline where the vp8 encoder handles incoming video data, creating a potential attack surface for remote code execution through maliciously crafted web content. The vulnerability manifests when the encoder processes malformed vp8 video frames that exceed allocated buffer boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the vp8 encoding logic where the system fails to properly validate input parameters before writing to heap-allocated memory regions. When processing specially crafted video content, the encoder does not sufficiently verify the size or structure of incoming data, allowing an attacker to overflow pre-allocated buffers and overwrite adjacent memory locations. This heap corruption can potentially overwrite critical program metadata, function pointers, or return addresses, enabling arbitrary code execution. The flaw aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with memory safety vulnerabilities that are frequently targeted in browser exploitation campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe given Chrome's widespread adoption and the nature of the attack vector. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw by hosting malicious web pages that trigger the vulnerable vp8 encoding path through HTML5 video elements or web APIs. The attack requires no user interaction beyond visiting the malicious page, making it particularly dangerous for phishing campaigns and drive-by download scenarios. Successful exploitation could result in full system compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, potentially leading to complete system takeover. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for spearphishing, as it enables initial access through web-based delivery mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-5217 primarily involve immediate patching of affected Chrome versions and libvpx components to the patched releases. Organizations should prioritize updating to Chrome 117.0.5938.132 or later and libvpx 1.13.1 or newer versions that contain the necessary memory bounds checking fixes. Additionally, implementing content security policies and sandboxing mechanisms can reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and browser security extensions may provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts and consider temporary disabling of vp8 video decoding in environments where the risk is particularly high. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper memory management practices in multimedia processing libraries, particularly those handling untrusted input from web sources.