CVE-2023-5852 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2023
Use after free in Printing in Google Chrome prior to 119.0.6045.105 allowed a remote attacker who convinced a user to engage in specific UI gestures to potentially exploit heap corruption via specific UI gestures. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Google Chrome's printing functionality that could be exploited remotely through specific user interactions. The flaw exists within the browser's handling of printing operations and allows an attacker to potentially corrupt heap memory through carefully crafted user interface gestures. The vulnerability is classified as medium severity by Chromium security standards but presents significant risks due to its remote exploitability and potential for heap corruption. The issue affects Chrome versions prior to 119.0.6045.105, indicating a specific window of exposure for users running older browser versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management during printing operations where freed memory blocks are still being referenced or accessed by subsequent operations. This use-after-free condition occurs when the printing subsystem allocates memory for print job processing and subsequently releases it, but the application continues to reference the freed memory locations. The specific UI gestures required by the attacker suggest that the vulnerability is triggered through user interactions with the printing interface, potentially involving print preview, print dialog manipulation, or other print-related user actions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in memory management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption as it could potentially enable arbitrary code execution or system instability. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw by convincing users to perform specific UI gestures that trigger the printing subsystem with maliciously crafted parameters. The requirement for user interaction makes this a phishing or social engineering vector where attackers must convince victims to engage in particular actions within the browser context. This attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities through user interaction. The heap corruption that results from this flaw could lead to unpredictable behavior including browser crashes, data corruption, or more severe system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 119.0.6045.105 or later where the memory management issues have been addressed. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies that prioritize browser updates, particularly for versions containing security fixes. Additional protective measures include browser hardening configurations that limit user interaction with potentially vulnerable components, implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls, and conducting user awareness training about the risks of engaging with untrusted web content. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual printing behaviors or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current browser versions and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of browser components, particularly those handling user interface interactions and system-level operations.