CVE-2024-2627: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-2627 Overview

CVE-2024-2627 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Canvas component of Google Chrome prior to version 123.0.6312.58. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption through a specially crafted HTML page. When a user visits a malicious website, the attacker can trigger the use-after-free condition, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser context.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this use-after-free vulnerability to achieve heap corruption, potentially enabling code execution with the privileges of the browser process when users visit malicious web pages.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 123.0.6312.58
• Fedora 38 (with bundled Chromium packages)
• Fedora 39 (with bundled Chromium packages)
• Fedora 40 (with bundled Chromium packages)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-03-20 - CVE-2024-2627 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-2627

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a memory corruption issue where the application continues to reference memory after it has been freed. In the context of Google Chrome's Canvas component, this occurs when the browser improperly manages memory allocations associated with canvas rendering operations.

The Canvas API in modern browsers provides powerful 2D and WebGL rendering capabilities, which inherently involve complex memory management. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTML page with specific canvas operations, they can trigger a sequence of events that causes the browser to access memory that has already been deallocated. This dangling pointer condition creates an opportunity for heap corruption exploitation.

Successful exploitation requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to a malicious website hosting the crafted HTML content. Once triggered, the vulnerability can allow an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code within the sandboxed browser process, though breaking out of Chrome's sandbox would require chaining additional vulnerabilities.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper memory lifecycle management within Chrome's Canvas implementation. Specifically, the vulnerability arises when canvas objects or associated resources are freed while still being referenced by other parts of the rendering pipeline. This can occur during garbage collection cycles, when canvas contexts are destroyed, or during specific sequences of canvas API calls that expose race conditions in memory handling.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker must host a malicious HTML page containing crafted JavaScript that manipulates the Canvas API in a specific sequence to trigger the use-after-free condition. Attack scenarios include:

1. Phishing campaigns - Distributing links to malicious sites via email or social media
2. Malvertising - Embedding exploit code within compromised advertising networks
3. Watering hole attacks - Compromising legitimate websites frequented by targeted victims
4. Drive-by downloads - Automatically triggering the vulnerability when users visit infected pages

The vulnerability can be triggered through JavaScript code that performs specific canvas operations designed to corrupt the heap state. Attackers typically chain heap corruption primitives to achieve code execution. For detailed technical information, see the Chromium Issue Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-2627

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected browser crashes or instability, particularly when visiting unfamiliar websites
• Chrome crash reports indicating heap corruption or memory access violations in canvas-related components
• Unusual network connections initiated by the Chrome process following website visits
• Detection of obfuscated JavaScript containing canvas API manipulation patterns

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome processes exhibiting abnormal memory access patterns or crash signatures
• Implement web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains serving exploit code
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting browser exploitation attempts
• Analyze browser crash dumps for signatures consistent with use-after-free exploitation

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting to identify potential exploitation attempts
• Monitor network traffic for connections to suspicious domains immediately following canvas-heavy page loads
• Implement browser process monitoring to detect anomalous behavior indicative of post-exploitation activity
• Review system logs for evidence of code execution originating from browser processes

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-2627

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 123.0.6312.58 or later immediately
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely patching of future vulnerabilities
• Apply Fedora security updates for affected package versions (Fedora 38, 39, and 40)
• Consider restricting access to untrusted websites until patching is complete
• Implement browser isolation solutions for high-risk users

Patch Information

Google has released a security patch addressing this vulnerability in Chrome version 123.0.6312.58. The fix was announced in the Google Chrome Stable Update on March 19, 2024.

Fedora users should apply the relevant security updates through their package manager. Announcements are available via the Fedora Package Announcements.

Workarounds

• Temporarily disable JavaScript execution for untrusted sites using browser settings or extensions
• Use browser extensions that restrict canvas fingerprinting, which may limit exposure to canvas-based attacks
• Employ network-level blocking of known malicious domains until patches can be applied
• Consider using alternative browsers for high-risk browsing activities until Chrome is updated

# Update Chrome on Linux systems
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade google-chrome-stable

# Fedora update command
sudo dnf update chromium

# Verify Chrome version (should be 123.0.6312.58 or higher)
google-chrome --version