CVE-2023-5217: Webmproject Libvpx Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2023-5217 Overview

Heap buffer overflow in vp8 encoding in libvpx in Google Chrome prior to 117.0.5938.132 and libvpx 1.13.1 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability could allow remote code execution leading to complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• webmproject libvpx
• microsoft edge
• google chrome

Discovery Timeline

• 2023-09-28 - CVE CVE-2023-5217 assigned
• 2023-09-28 - CVE CVE-2023-5217 published to NVD
• 2025-10-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-5217

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability arises from improper boundary checks in the vp8 encoding functionality of libvpx. Specifically, the incorrect management of buffer allocations leads to a heap buffer overflow, allowing attackers to overwrite specific memory locations and potentially execute arbitrary code.

Root Cause

The root cause is a boundary condition error in the vp8 encoding process, where input data is not adequately validated before being processed, resulting in memory being overwritten.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, as it can be triggered by luring victims into visiting a specially crafted HTML page that exploits the vulnerability.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

void vulnerable_function(char *input) {
    char buffer[10];
    strcpy(buffer, input);  // No bounds checking here
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
    if (argc < 2) {
        printf("Usage: %s <input>\n", argv[0]);
        return 1;
    }
    vulnerable_function(argv[1]);
    return 0;
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-5217

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual network traffic patterns
• Unexpected process creation
• Memory dump analysis showing overwritten buffers

Detection Strategies

Deploy network monitoring tools to detect abnormal traffic that matches exploit characteristics. Utilize EDR solutions like SentinelOne to identify memory misuse and suspicious process execution.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly audit logs for signs of exploitation attempts and leverage advanced machine learning algorithms in security tools to detect anomalies related to this vulnerability.

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-5217

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 117.0.5938.132 or later
• Patch libvpx to version 1.13.1
• Enable strict browser security settings

Patch Information

Refer to the vendor advisory and the following GitHub commits for patch details:

• Patch 1
• Patch 2

Workarounds

Implement network edge proxies to filter out malicious content until patches are applied.

# Configuration example
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m string --string "vulnerable-pattern" --algo kmp -j DROP