CVE-2025-4096 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE • 05/05/2025
Heap buffer overflow in HTML in Google Chrome prior to 136.0.7103.59 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 • 05/06/2025
This heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists within the HTML parsing and rendering components of google chrome versions prior to 136.0.7103.59. The flaw manifests when processing maliciously crafted html content that triggers improper memory management during element creation or manipulation. The vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-121 which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The chromium security severity classification of high indicates significant potential for exploitation and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when chrome's html parser encounters specially crafted input that causes memory allocation errors during DOM tree construction. Attackers can construct html pages containing malformed elements or excessive data that triggers the buffer overflow condition in the heap memory management subsystem. This type of vulnerability represents a classic memory corruption exploit vector that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The heap corruption allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations potentially including function pointers, return addresses, or other critical control data structures.
Operationally this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to chrome users as it enables remote code execution through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The exploitability is enhanced by the fact that modern browser exploitation techniques can leverage such memory corruption vulnerabilities to bypass security mitigations like address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. The impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially enable broader attacks including privilege escalation, data theft, or system control. Attackers can craft pages that automatically exploit this vulnerability when loaded in chrome browsers, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate browser updates to version 136.0.7103.59 or later where the heap overflow has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all chrome installations are current with security updates. Additional protective measures include browser hardening configurations, content security policies, and web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious html content. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and endpoint detection systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security assessments and the need for robust memory safety practices in browser engine development. Organizations should also consider implementing browser isolation techniques and sandboxing measures to limit potential exploitation impact even if vulnerabilities are not immediately patched.