CVE-2024-4671: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-4671 Overview

Use after free in Visuals in Google Chrome prior to 124.0.6367.201 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page. This vulnerability is categorized as high-severity due to its capability to allow a complete sandbox escape with potentially severe consequences.

Critical Impact
Allows a remote attacker to perform sandbox escape via crafted HTML, posing a significant risk to users.

Affected Products

Google Chrome
FedoraProject Fedora 38, 39, 40

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Google
Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-4671 assigned
Not Available - Google releases security patch
2024-05-14T15:44:15.573 - CVE CVE-2024-4671 published to NVD
2025-10-24T14:07:21.820 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-4671

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability results from a use-after-free condition in the visual components of Google Chrome, where memory is not properly managed during HTML processing. This flaw permits remote attackers to elevate privileges and escape sandbox constraints.

Root Cause

Improper handling of memory pointers during visual rendering allows memory to be reused incorrectly, leading to a use-after-free state.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability can be exploited over a network by a remote attacker through the delivery of a specially crafted HTML page.

cpp

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
void triggerUseAfterFree() {
    VisualComponent *vc = new VisualComponent();
    delete vc;
    // At this point, accessing `vc` leads to use-after-free
    vc->render(); // Potential exploitation point
}

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-4671

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected application crashes
Unusual system process behaviors
Monitor for suspicious outbound traffic

Detection Strategies

Employ memory analysis tools and logging to identify anomalous behaviors in memory allocation and deallocation patterns within Chrome processes.

Monitoring Recommendations

Regularly update real-time monitoring rules to include signature detection for this specific vulnerability. Consider behavior monitoring for abnormal memory access patterns.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-4671

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 124.0.6367.201 or later
Review and apply security patches from the vendor
Implement additional sandboxing controls

Patch Information

The patch addressing this issue is included in Google’s May 2024 security updates. Manual updates are essential if automatic updates are disabled.

Workarounds

Disable unnecessary web page features that might lead to complex memory usage and potential exploit triggering.

bash

# Configuration example
echo "Updating Google Chrome..."
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install google-chrome-stable