CVE-2024-10488: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-10488 Overview

CVE-2024-10488 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the WebRTC component of Google Chrome before version 130.0.6723.92. A remote attacker can exploit heap corruption by serving a crafted HTML page to a victim browser. The flaw is tracked under CWE-416 and carries a Chromium security severity rating of High. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious site, and can lead to arbitrary code execution within the renderer process. Google addressed the issue in the Stable channel update released on October 29, 2024.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can trigger heap corruption in the WebRTC component via a crafted web page, potentially leading to code execution within the Chrome renderer.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 130.0.6723.92 (Desktop)
• Chromium-based browsers incorporating the vulnerable WebRTC component
• All operating systems running affected Chrome builds (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-10-29 - Google releases Chrome 130.0.6723.92 Stable channel update containing the fix
• 2024-10-29 - CVE-2024-10488 published to NVD
• 2025-01-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-10488

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition [CWE-416] in Chrome's WebRTC implementation. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) provides browsers with peer-to-peer audio, video, and data channel capabilities through JavaScript APIs. Use-after-free defects occur when code continues to reference memory after it has been released back to the allocator. An attacker who controls the reclaimed allocation can corrupt heap metadata or hijack object virtual tables. In Chrome's sandboxed renderer, this typically grants control over execution flow within the renderer process. Attackers commonly chain such bugs with a sandbox escape to achieve full system compromise. Full technical specifics remain restricted in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry pending broad patch adoption.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in object lifetime management within WebRTC. A reference to an allocated WebRTC object persists after that object has been freed, allowing subsequent operations to dereference dangling memory. Heap grooming through JavaScript can place attacker-controlled data into the freed region before reuse.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a victim to load a crafted HTML page that invokes WebRTC APIs in a specific sequence. No authentication or privileges are required, but user interaction (visiting the page) is necessary. The attacker controls the page content, enabling precise timing of allocations and frees needed to win the race against garbage collection.

No public proof-of-concept code has been released for CVE-2024-10488. See the Google Chrome Stable Update announcement for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-10488

Indicators of Compromise

• Chrome renderer process crashes referencing WebRTC modules (peerconnection, webrtc.dll, or equivalent shared libraries)
• Unexpected child process spawning from chrome.exe immediately after visiting an untrusted site
• Outbound connections to attacker-controlled STUN/TURN or signaling servers from user workstations with no legitimate WebRTC use case

Detection Strategies

• Inventory installed Chrome versions across endpoints and flag any build below 130.0.6723.92 as vulnerable
• Monitor browser telemetry and crash dumps for WebRTC-related access violations that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Inspect proxy and DNS logs for users browsing newly registered domains hosting unsolicited WebRTC content

Monitoring Recommendations

• Centralize Chrome version inventory and crash event collection in a SIEM or data lake for trend analysis
• Alert on renderer process anomalies such as memory region permission changes (RWX) or shellcode execution patterns
• Correlate browser exploitation telemetry with subsequent process injection or persistence activity on the same host

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-10488

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 130.0.6723.92 or later on all managed endpoints
• Restart Chrome after deploying the update to ensure the patched binary is loaded
• Verify that Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi) have absorbed the upstream WebRTC fix

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Chrome Stable channel update for Desktop on October 29, 2024. See the Google Chrome Stable Update for release notes. Enterprise administrators should validate that automatic updates have rolled out via Chrome Browser Cloud Management or equivalent endpoint management tooling.

Workarounds

• Where patching is delayed, disable WebRTC features via enterprise policy or extensions that block getUserMedia and RTCPeerConnection APIs
• Restrict browsing to trusted sites through web filtering or DNS-layer controls until updates are deployed
• Enforce Site Isolation and the Chrome sandbox to limit the blast radius of renderer-level exploitation

# Verify installed Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version
# Expected output: Google Chrome 130.0.6723.92 or later

# Windows: query registry for installed version
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version