CVE-2025-1426 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 02/19/2025
Heap buffer overflow in GPU in Google Chrome on Android prior to 133.0.6943.126 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 • 04/08/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical heap buffer overflow condition within the graphics processing unit component of google chrome on android systems. The flaw exists in the gpu memory management subsystem where improper bounds checking allows malicious input to overwrite adjacent memory locations within the heap allocation space. The vulnerability specifically affects chrome versions prior to 133.0.6943.126 and enables remote code execution through crafted html pages that trigger the vulnerable gpu processing path. The heap corruption occurs when the browser processes malicious graphics content that exceeds allocated buffer boundaries, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate heap metadata or overwrite critical program structures. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration category of cwe-121 heap-based buffer overflow and aligns with attack techniques documented in the attack tree framework under code injection and memory corruption categories. The exploitation potential is particularly severe given that the vulnerability operates within the gpu rendering pipeline where attackers can leverage sophisticated techniques to achieve arbitrary code execution. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that simply visiting a malicious webpage can trigger the exploit without requiring any user interaction beyond the initial page load. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the gpu subsystem typically operates with elevated privileges and can potentially bypass standard operating system security controls. This vulnerability demonstrates the complex security challenges inherent in modern browser architectures where graphics processing units must maintain tight integration with application memory spaces while preserving security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this heap buffer overflow involves memory allocation patterns specific to gpu rendering contexts where vertex buffers, texture data, and shader parameters are processed. When chrome encounters malicious html content that includes crafted graphics commands, the gpu driver processes these inputs without adequate validation of buffer sizes or memory boundaries. The overflow occurs during the gpu memory allocation phase where the system allocates heap space for graphics processing operations but fails to verify that input data fits within the allocated boundaries. This creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious data that overflows into adjacent heap memory regions, potentially corrupting heap metadata structures or overwriting critical function pointers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because gpu memory operations often occur in privileged contexts where standard memory protection mechanisms may be less effective. The chromium security severity rating of high reflects the combination of remote exploitability, privilege escalation potential, and the difficulty of mitigating attacks that target gpu memory subsystems. The vulnerability demonstrates how modern browsers must balance performance requirements with security constraints when managing graphics processing unit resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple exploitation scenarios to encompass broader security implications for android mobile device users. Mobile browsers represent critical attack surfaces where users frequently access untrusted content and where the gpu processing capabilities can be leveraged to achieve persistent system compromise. The vulnerability affects users across multiple android versions and device configurations where chrome serves as the primary browser application. Attackers can potentially leverage this vulnerability to install malware, exfiltrate device data, or establish persistent backdoors through the gpu memory corruption pathway. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised website scenarios. Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability can be combined with other exploitation techniques to achieve more sophisticated attacks including sandbox escapes and privilege elevation. The vulnerability also highlights the challenges in securing graphics processing unit components where hardware and software integration creates complex security boundaries that are difficult to maintain. Organizations must consider the broader implications of gpu-based vulnerabilities when implementing mobile security policies and incident response procedures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected chrome versions to 133.0.6943.126 or later where the heap buffer overflow protections have been implemented. System administrators should enforce automatic update policies for mobile devices and ensure that chrome applications are regularly updated to maintain security posture. Additional protective measures include implementing content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious graphics content, enabling chrome security features such as site isolation and sandboxing, and monitoring for unusual gpu memory allocation patterns. Organizations should consider deploying mobile device management solutions that can enforce security policies and automatically update browser components. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining updated security tooling and monitoring solutions that can detect exploitation attempts targeting graphics processing units. Network security teams should implement web filtering solutions that can block access to known malicious domains and monitor for suspicious html content that may contain crafted graphics elements. Regular security assessments should include evaluation of gpu memory management subsystems and verification of proper buffer overflow protections. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that graphics processing unit security requires specialized attention and that traditional memory protection mechanisms may be insufficient for protecting gpu memory spaces where attackers can leverage hardware-specific exploitation techniques.