CVE-2024-5847 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 06/12/2024
Use after free in PDFium in Google Chrome prior to 126.0.6478.54 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted PDF file. (Chromium security severity: Medium)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2024-5847 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the PDFium component of Google Chrome, affecting versions prior to 126.0.6478.54. This flaw exists in the handling of PDF documents and provides a remote attacker with the potential to execute arbitrary code through heap corruption. The vulnerability resides in the memory management subsystem of the PDF rendering engine, specifically when processing maliciously crafted PDF files that trigger improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to freed memory regions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management controls within PDFium's object handling mechanisms. When a PDF document contains specially constructed elements, the rendering engine may prematurely free memory associated with certain objects while simultaneously maintaining references to those same memory locations. This creates a scenario where an attacker can manipulate the memory layout to overwrite critical data structures or inject malicious code into the heap. The flaw operates under CWE-416 which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, where memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass a range of sophisticated attack vectors that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for phishing with malicious attachments. An attacker could craft a PDF file that appears legitimate but contains malicious payloads designed to exploit the heap corruption. The medium severity classification indicates that while exploitation requires specific conditions, the potential for successful compromise remains significant given the privileged execution context of browser processes and the extensive attack surface provided by PDF document processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-5847 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment to the affected Chrome versions, as well as implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms and content filtering solutions. Organizations should prioritize updating their Chrome installations to version 126.0.6478.54 or later, which includes memory safety improvements and enhanced validation routines. Network-level protections such as PDF content inspection and heuristic analysis can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, while browser hardening configurations including restricted permissions and enhanced memory protection features should be implemented. Security teams must also consider monitoring for suspicious PDF file handling patterns and implementing automated threat detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability class.