CVE-2023-2725 Overview
CVE-2023-2725 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Guest View component of Google Chrome prior to version 113.0.5672.126. This memory corruption flaw allows an attacker who convinces a user to install a malicious browser extension to potentially exploit heap corruption through a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability can lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser process.
Critical Impact
This use-after-free vulnerability enables attackers to achieve heap corruption through malicious extensions and crafted HTML pages, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser context.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome versions prior to 113.0.5672.126
- Debian Linux 11.0
- Fedora 37 and Fedora 38
Discovery Timeline
- May 16, 2023 - CVE-2023-2725 published to NVD
- May 5, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2023-2725
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Google Chrome's Guest View component, which handles the rendering and management of guest content within browser extensions. Guest View is a critical component that enables extensions to embed web content in isolated contexts, such as webviews in Chrome Apps and extensions.
The use-after-free condition occurs when memory associated with a Guest View object is freed but subsequently accessed by other code paths. When an attacker-controlled malicious extension triggers specific interactions with the Guest View component using a crafted HTML page, it can manipulate the timing and sequence of memory operations to access freed heap memory.
This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in browser contexts because successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary read/write primitives within the Chrome renderer process. An attacker could potentially leverage this to execute arbitrary code, escape the browser sandbox (with additional vulnerabilities), or access sensitive data within the browser's memory space.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2023-2725 is a use-after-free memory corruption flaw (CWE-416) in the Guest View implementation. The vulnerability arises from improper lifecycle management of Guest View objects, where references to freed memory remain accessible and can be manipulated through extension-controlled HTML content. This indicates a failure in the reference counting or ownership model used to manage Guest View component memory.
Attack Vector
The attack vector requires user interaction in the form of installing a malicious browser extension. Once installed, the attacker-controlled extension can:
- Create and manipulate Guest View contexts through crafted HTML pages
- Trigger the use-after-free condition through specific interaction patterns
- Exploit the resulting heap corruption to gain code execution capabilities
The attack is network-based as the malicious extension could load attacker-controlled content remotely, but requires the user to first install the malicious extension locally.
The vulnerability mechanism involves the Guest View component improperly handling object lifecycle during certain operations. When a Guest View instance is destroyed while references to its memory still exist elsewhere in the codebase, subsequent access to these dangling references leads to use-after-free conditions that can be exploited for heap corruption. For complete technical details, refer to the Chrome Bug Report #1442516.
Detection Methods for CVE-2023-2725
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected Chrome browser crashes or instability, particularly when using extensions
- Presence of unknown or recently installed browser extensions that the user did not intentionally add
- Unusual memory consumption patterns in Chrome processes
- Chrome crash reports indicating heap corruption in Guest View related components
Detection Strategies
- Monitor for unauthorized browser extension installations across enterprise endpoints
- Implement browser extension whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted extensions
- Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying memory corruption exploitation attempts
- Review Chrome crash dumps for patterns consistent with use-after-free exploitation
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Chrome's enhanced protection mode to detect malicious extensions before installation
- Configure centralized logging for browser extension installation events
- Monitor network traffic for connections to known malicious extension distribution sources
- Implement SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous browser process behavior indicative of exploitation
How to Mitigate CVE-2023-2725
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome to version 113.0.5672.126 or later immediately
- Audit installed browser extensions and remove any unknown or suspicious extensions
- Enable Chrome's Safe Browsing enhanced protection mode
- Deploy enterprise browser management policies to control extension installations
Patch Information
Google has released a security patch addressing this vulnerability in Chrome version 113.0.5672.126. The fix addresses the memory lifecycle management issues in the Guest View component. Organizations should update all Chrome installations to this version or later.
Detailed information is available in the Google Chrome Desktop Update announcement. Linux distribution users should also apply vendor-specific patches:
Workarounds
- Restrict browser extension installation to administrator-approved extensions only via enterprise policy
- Disable or remove all non-essential browser extensions until patching is complete
- Consider temporarily using alternative browsers for sensitive activities if immediate patching is not possible
- Implement network-level controls to block access to known malicious extension distribution sites
# Chrome Enterprise Policy Configuration (Windows Registry)
# Restrict extension installation sources
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v ExtensionInstallBlocklist /t REG_SZ /d "*" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v ExtensionInstallAllowlist /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "approved_extension_id1,approved_extension_id2" /f
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
