CVE-2024-4331 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 05/01/2024
Use after free in Picture In Picture in Google Chrome prior to 124.0.6367.118 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 • 04/02/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition in Google Chrome's Picture-in-Picture functionality, affecting versions prior to 124.0.6367.118. The flaw occurs when the browser processes crafted HTML content that manipulates the Picture-in-Picture API, leading to improper memory management where freed memory regions are accessed after deallocation. The vulnerability is classified as high severity by Chromium security standards and enables remote code execution through carefully crafted web pages that trigger the memory corruption. The technical implementation involves the browser's handling of media element references within the Picture-in-Picture context, where the application fails to properly validate or manage object lifecycles during asynchronous operations. This creates a scenario where an attacker can manipulate memory layout to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability operates through the exploitation of heap memory management flaws where freed memory blocks are not properly invalidated, allowing subsequent allocations to reuse the same memory addresses. This type of flaw falls under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through web-based payloads. The operational impact extends beyond simple browser compromise as it enables attackers to bypass security boundaries and escalate privileges, particularly in environments where users browse untrusted content. The attack vector requires a victim to visit a malicious webpage containing crafted HTML elements that trigger the Picture-in-Picture API with specific parameters, causing the browser to execute code in the context of the compromised process. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks in complex multimedia APIs where asynchronous operations and memory management intersect, creating potential attack surfaces that are difficult to predict and mitigate. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a reliable path to achieve remote code execution through web-based delivery mechanisms. The flaw highlights the importance of proper memory lifecycle management in browser engines and the critical need for comprehensive testing of asynchronous API interactions. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to malicious websites attempting to leverage this vulnerability and ensure that all browser instances are updated to patched versions. The remediation process requires users to update to Chrome version 124.0.6367.118 or later, which includes memory management fixes that properly handle the Picture-in-Picture API state transitions and prevent the reuse of freed memory blocks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges in browser security where complex APIs and asynchronous programming models create potential memory corruption scenarios that can be leveraged for remote exploitation.