CVE-2024-0807: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-0807 Overview

CVE-2024-0807 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Web Audio component of Google Chrome prior to version 121.0.6167.85. This memory corruption vulnerability allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability was classified as high severity by the Chromium security team due to its potential for significant impact on system integrity.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit heap corruption through specially crafted HTML pages, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or browser compromise.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 121.0.6167.85
• Fedora Project Fedora 38
• Fedora Project Fedora 39

Discovery Timeline

• January 24, 2024 - CVE-2024-0807 published to NVD
• June 20, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0807

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a memory corruption flaw where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed. In the context of the Web Audio API, this occurs when audio processing objects are deallocated but subsequent operations attempt to access the freed memory region.

The Web Audio API provides powerful capabilities for processing and synthesizing audio in web applications. Due to the complexity of managing audio node lifecycles and connections, improper memory management can lead to dangling pointer scenarios. When these freed memory regions are accessed, attackers can potentially corrupt heap metadata or redirect execution flow.

The vulnerability requires user interaction - specifically, the victim must navigate to a malicious web page containing the crafted HTML content. Once triggered, the heap corruption could enable an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution within the browser's sandbox or cause the browser to crash.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper lifecycle management within the Web Audio component. When audio nodes or audio contexts are destroyed, associated memory is freed. However, if references to these objects persist in other components or callback handlers, subsequent operations may attempt to access invalid memory locations. This use-after-free condition creates an exploitable window where attackers can potentially control the contents of the reallocated memory region.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must craft a malicious HTML page that manipulates the Web Audio API in a specific sequence to trigger the use-after-free condition. The attack flow typically involves:

1. Creating audio contexts and audio nodes through JavaScript
2. Triggering specific operations that cause premature deallocation
3. Manipulating memory layout to control freed regions
4. Accessing the freed memory to corrupt heap structures

The vulnerability does not require any special privileges to exploit, making it accessible to any attacker capable of hosting malicious web content or injecting code into legitimate websites.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0807

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected browser crashes or memory corruption errors when visiting untrusted websites
• Anomalous Web Audio API usage patterns in JavaScript execution logs
• Browser process spawning unexpected child processes or making unusual system calls
• Memory access violations related to audio processing components

Detection Strategies

• Monitor browser crash reports for patterns indicating heap corruption in audio-related components
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict inline script execution on sensitive pages
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that monitor for memory exploitation techniques
• Utilize browser-level telemetry to identify anomalous Web Audio API invocations

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting and review logs for Web Audio-related failures
• Monitor network traffic for connections to known malicious domains serving exploit content
• Implement web proxy filtering to block access to untrusted or newly registered domains
• Configure SIEM alerts for patterns associated with browser-based exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0807

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 121.0.6167.85 or later immediately
• For Fedora 38 and 39 users, apply the latest security updates via package manager
• Enable automatic browser updates to ensure timely patch deployment
• Consider blocking untrusted websites at the network level until patches are applied

Patch Information

Google has released a security update addressing this vulnerability in Chrome version 121.0.6167.85. The fix was announced on January 23, 2024, in the Chrome Stable Channel Update. Additional technical details are available in Chromium Bug Report #1505080.

Fedora users should apply updates through the standard package management system. Security advisories have been published for both Fedora 38 and Fedora 39.

Workarounds

• Disable JavaScript on untrusted websites using browser extensions like NoScript or uBlock Origin
• Use browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Implement network-level filtering to block access to suspicious or newly registered domains
• Consider using alternative browsers with different rendering engines for high-risk browsing activities

# Update Google Chrome on Fedora systems
sudo dnf update chromium --refresh

# Verify installed Chrome version
google-chrome --version
# Expected output: Google Chrome 121.0.6167.85 or higher