CVE-2025-1568 in ChromeOS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/17/2025
Access Control Vulnerability in Gerrit chromiumos project configuration in Google ChromeOS 131.0.6778.268 allows an attacker with a registered Gerrit account to inject malicious code into ChromeOS projects and potentially achieve Remote Code Execution and Denial of Service via editing trusted pipelines by insufficient access controls and misconfigurations in Gerrit's project.config.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2025
This vulnerability resides within the Gerrit code review system configuration used by the chromiumos project in Google ChromeOS, specifically affecting version 131.0.6778.268. The flaw represents a critical access control weakness that stems from inadequate authorization mechanisms within Gerrit's project.config file handling. The vulnerability manifests when authenticated users with registered Gerrit accounts can manipulate trusted pipeline configurations, bypassing intended security boundaries that should prevent arbitrary code injection into core ChromeOS components. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation where attackers can modify critical build and deployment processes that are supposed to be protected from user modification. The underlying technical flaw aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically targeting improper access control in configuration management systems where trusted pipeline definitions are stored and modified.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code injection capabilities to encompass potential remote code execution and denial of service scenarios within the ChromeOS development ecosystem. Attackers leveraging this weakness can inject malicious code into the build pipeline, potentially compromising the integrity of the entire ChromeOS release process. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the Chromium OS project where trusted pipelines are designed to execute with elevated privileges and access to sensitive system resources. When an attacker successfully modifies these configurations, they can manipulate the build environment to execute arbitrary commands during the compilation or deployment phases, effectively compromising the development infrastructure. The denial of service aspect occurs when malicious modifications can disrupt legitimate build processes or cause system instability through improper pipeline configurations.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 Valid Accounts for initial access and T1546 Event Triggered Execution for persistence mechanisms within the build infrastructure. The attack vector requires a registered Gerrit account, making it a legitimate user-based threat rather than an external exploitation scenario, which complicates detection and mitigation strategies. The vulnerability represents a configuration drift issue where default security settings have been improperly relaxed or misapplied within the Gerrit project management system. Organizations relying on this infrastructure face significant risk as the compromised pipeline configurations can affect multiple downstream systems and potentially propagate to production environments if not properly isolated. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of principle of least privilege in configuration management systems where trusted pipeline definitions should be protected from modification by unauthorized personnel.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict access controls within Gerrit's project.config management, ensuring that only authorized administrators can modify trusted pipeline configurations. Organizations should enforce mandatory review processes for all pipeline modifications and implement automated scanning for unauthorized configuration changes. The solution requires a comprehensive audit of existing Gerrit configurations to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses across all project repositories. Regular security assessments of the code review infrastructure should be conducted to prevent configuration drift and maintain the integrity of trusted build processes. Additionally, implementing proper segregation of duties between development and infrastructure management roles can help prevent unauthorized modifications to critical pipeline configurations. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of maintaining strict security boundaries in development environments where trusted pipeline configurations are stored and executed, as these systems form the foundation of software supply chain security for critical operating systems.