CVE-2024-7536 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2024
Use after free in WebAudio in Google Chrome prior to 127.0.6533.99 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 • 03/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-7536 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the WebAudio component of Google Chrome browser versions prior to 127.0.6533.99. This flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of memory after it has been freed, creating a dangerous scenario where attackers can manipulate freed memory regions to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability exists in the browser's handling of audio processing operations that utilize the WebAudio API, which provides low-level audio processing capabilities for web applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious web page triggers a specific sequence of audio operations that cause the WebAudio subsystem to free memory associated with audio processing objects while other references to that memory remain active. When the browser subsequently attempts to access this freed memory, it can lead to heap corruption that attackers can potentially leverage for code execution. The Chromium security severity rating of High indicates the significant risk this vulnerability poses to user systems, as the attack surface involves standard web browsing activities where users encounter crafted malicious content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a remote code execution threat that can be exploited through standard web browsing without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates entirely within the browser's sandboxed environment, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network security measures. The heap corruption resulting from the use-after-free condition can be manipulated to overwrite critical memory structures, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, which may lead to full system compromise depending on the user's privilege level.
Security mitigations for CVE-2024-7536 primarily involve updating to Chrome version 127.0.6533.99 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory management issues within the WebAudio implementation. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of this update across all affected systems while monitoring for any exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis or endpoint detection systems. Additionally, browser hardening measures such as enabling site isolation, disabling unnecessary audio processing features, and implementing strict content security policies can provide additional defensive layers against potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential harvesting, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to establish persistent access or extract sensitive information from compromised systems.