CVE-2023-6345 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 11/29/2023
Integer overflow in Skia in Google Chrome prior to 119.0.6045.199 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a malicious file. (Chromium security severity: High)
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2023-6345 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within Skia, Google's 2D graphics library that forms a core component of Chrome's rendering engine. This issue exists in Chrome versions prior to 119.0.6045.199 and presents a significant security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers who have already gained access to the renderer process. The flaw specifically manifests in the Skia graphics library's handling of integer values during graphic processing operations, creating potential pathways for privilege escalation and system compromise. The vulnerability's classification as High severity by Chromium's security team underscores its potential for serious exploitation and the need for immediate remediation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper integer overflow handling within Skia's graphics processing routines. When processing malicious graphic files, the library fails to properly validate integer arithmetic operations that could result in values exceeding their maximum representable range. This overflow condition can lead to unexpected behavior in memory allocation, buffer handling, or control flow decisions. The flaw specifically impacts the renderer process where Skia handles graphic rendering operations, making it particularly dangerous as attackers who have already compromised this process can leverage the vulnerability to escape the sandbox environment. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which occurs when a calculation produces a result that is outside the range of values that can be represented by the underlying data type. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to already have compromised the renderer process, but the potential for sandbox escape makes it particularly concerning from a threat modeling perspective.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-6345 extends beyond simple graphic rendering issues to represent a serious threat to Chrome's security architecture. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can potentially bypass the sandbox protections that isolate the renderer process from the rest of the system. This sandbox escape capability allows for broader system access, including potential file system access, process manipulation, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability's exploitation scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1055.004, which covers Process Injection techniques, as the integer overflow could enable malicious code execution within the target process. The impact is particularly severe in environments where Chrome is used for handling sensitive data or where multiple users share the same system, as the vulnerability could be leveraged to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to system resources. Organizations running affected Chrome versions face significant risk of lateral movement and persistent access within their networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-6345 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and system hardening measures. The most effective remediation involves updating Chrome to version 119.0.6045.199 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the integer overflow vulnerability. Security administrators should also implement additional protective measures including regular security updates, monitoring for suspicious renderer process activities, and maintaining up-to-date intrusion detection systems. Network segmentation and privilege separation can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to detect anomalous graphic processing behaviors. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted graphic files and regularly audit system configurations to ensure proper sandbox enforcement. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation in graphics libraries and demonstrates how seemingly isolated component flaws can have cascading effects on overall system security, particularly in browsers that handle untrusted content from multiple sources.