CVE-2023-5852: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2023-5852 Overview

CVE-2023-5852 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Printing component of Google Chrome prior to version 119.0.6045.105. A remote attacker who convinces a user to engage in specific user interface (UI) gestures can trigger heap corruption and potentially execute arbitrary code in the browser process. The flaw is classified under CWE-416: Use After Free and affects Chrome on all platforms, along with downstream distributions including Debian Linux 11/12 and Fedora 37/38/39. Google addressed the issue in the stable channel update published on October 31, 2023.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation can lead to heap corruption and arbitrary code execution within the renderer process after a victim performs specific UI gestures on attacker-controlled content.

Affected Products

Google Chrome versions prior to 119.0.6045.105
Debian Linux 11 and 12 (chromium package)
Fedora 37, 38, and 39 (chromium package)

Discovery Timeline

2023-11-01 - CVE-2023-5852 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2025-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-5852

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Printing component of Chromium. A use-after-free condition occurs when the Printing subsystem retains a pointer to a heap object that has already been freed. When the attacker triggers specific UI gestures on a crafted page, Chrome dereferences the dangling pointer, producing heap corruption.

User interaction is required, which limits drive-by exploitation. However, the attack surface is reachable from any web origin because print dialogs can be invoked from JavaScript. Successful exploitation typically allows an attacker to corrupt heap metadata and pivot toward control-flow hijacking inside the renderer or browser process.

Chrome's site isolation and sandbox reduce direct system impact, but renderer compromise remains a strong primitive for chained attacks. The Chromium security team rated the issue Medium internally. The detailed root-cause analysis is restricted in the Chromium bug tracker pending widespread patch adoption.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management within Chrome's printing pipeline ([CWE-416]). A reference to a printing-related object is used after the underlying allocation has been released, violating heap allocator invariants and enabling controlled corruption.

Attack Vector

An attacker hosts a malicious page that initiates printing flows. The victim must perform specific UI gestures, such as interacting with print preview or related dialogs. Once the gestures occur, the freed object is reused, and the attacker can stage further memory corruption primitives. No verified public proof-of-concept exists for CVE-2023-5852.

No verified exploit code is publicly available for CVE-2023-5852.
Refer to the Chromium bug report (restricted) for technical details:
https://crbug.com/1480852

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-5852

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer or browser process crashes referencing the Printing component, particularly heap corruption signatures in chrome.dll or libchromium printing modules.
Unexpected child processes spawned by chrome.exe immediately after a user interacts with a print dialog on an untrusted site.
Web pages that programmatically invoke window.print() and prompt for specific UI interactions outside expected workflows.

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any build below 119.0.6045.105.
Monitor crash telemetry for Chromium-based browsers and correlate faults in printing-related modules with browsing activity to suspicious origins.
Use endpoint behavioral telemetry to identify anomalous post-exploitation behavior such as renderer processes spawning shells or writing executables.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward browser crash dumps and process creation events to a centralized data lake for correlation with network telemetry.
Alert on Chrome child processes that load unusual DLLs or perform outbound connections after invoking the print subsystem.
Track patch compliance reports from package managers (apt, dnf) for Debian and Fedora chromium packages.

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-5852

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 119.0.6045.105 or later on all supported platforms.
Apply distribution security updates: Debian DSA-5546 for Debian 11/12 and the corresponding Fedora chromium package updates for Fedora 37/38/39.
Restart browser sessions after updating to ensure the patched binary is loaded into memory.
Verify enterprise auto-update policies are active so future Chromium fixes deploy without manual intervention.

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Stable Channel Update for Desktop on October 31, 2023. Debian published DSA-5546, and Gentoo issued GLSA 202311-11, GLSA 202312-07, and GLSA 202401-34. Fedora distributed updated chromium packages through package-announce.

Workarounds

Until patches are applied, restrict access to untrusted websites through web filtering or browser isolation.
Train users to avoid interacting with unexpected print dialogs on unfamiliar sites.
Disable printing functionality through enterprise policy where business operations permit.

bash

# Verify installed Chrome version on Linux
google-chrome --version

# Update Chromium on Debian-based systems
sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade chromium

# Update Chromium on Fedora
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh chromium