CVE-2024-5499 Overview
CVE-2024-5499 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the Streams API of Google Chrome prior to version 125.0.6422.141. A remote attacker can execute arbitrary code inside the Chrome renderer sandbox by tricking a user into loading a crafted HTML page. The flaw is tracked under CWE-787 and was rated High severity by the Chromium security team. The vulnerability affects Google Chrome on all desktop platforms and was also patched in Fedora 39 and Fedora 40 distributions. Exploitation requires user interaction such as visiting a malicious or compromised website.
Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution within the Chrome renderer sandbox, providing attackers an initial foothold that can be chained with a sandbox escape for full system compromise.
Affected Products
- Google Chrome prior to 125.0.6422.141
- Fedora 39
- Fedora 40
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-05-30 - CVE-2024-5499 published to NVD following the Chrome Stable channel update
- 2024-12-26 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-5499
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Streams API implementation within the Blink rendering engine. The Streams API provides JavaScript primitives such as ReadableStream, WritableStream, and TransformStream for handling chunked data flows. An out-of-bounds write occurs when stream operations write data past the end of an allocated buffer. Attackers can leverage this memory corruption primitive to overwrite adjacent objects in the renderer heap. With careful heap grooming, this leads to control of object pointers and ultimately arbitrary code execution inside the sandboxed renderer process. The bug is classified under CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, one of the most common root causes of browser remote code execution.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper bounds validation when the Streams API copies or transforms chunked data between internal buffers. The implementation fails to verify that the destination buffer can accommodate the data being written. This allows attacker-controlled JavaScript to drive the stream into a state where the write index exceeds the allocated capacity, corrupting adjacent heap memory.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page containing JavaScript that abuses the Streams API to trigger the out-of-bounds write. When a victim visits the page using a vulnerable Chrome build, the malicious script executes code within the renderer sandbox. The attack does not require authentication and can be delivered through phishing links, malvertising, or compromised websites. Code execution is constrained to the renderer sandbox, so a follow-on sandbox escape is required to achieve execution on the host operating system. Technical details are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Desktop Update.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-5499
Indicators of Compromise
- Chrome renderer process crashes referencing blink::ReadableStream, blink::WritableStream, or TransformStream in crash logs.
- Outbound connections from chrome.exe to recently registered or low-reputation domains shortly after browsing activity.
- Unexpected child processes spawned by Chrome following navigation to an untrusted URL.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory installed Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any build below 125.0.6422.141.
- Inspect web proxy and DNS logs for users visiting URLs delivering heavily obfuscated JavaScript that invokes Streams API constructors.
- Monitor endpoint telemetry for anomalous memory access violations or sandbox process terminations originating from the browser.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward browser crash reports and EDR process telemetry to a central data lake for retrospective hunting across renderer crashes.
- Alert on Chrome renderer processes attempting to write to disk locations outside the standard browser profile directories.
- Correlate user reports of browser instability with web gateway logs to identify pages weaponizing the Streams API.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-5499
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Google Chrome to version 125.0.6422.141 or later on all Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
- Apply the corresponding Fedora package updates for Fedora 39 and Fedora 40 referenced in the Fedora Project announcements.
- Force-restart Chrome after the update to ensure the patched binary is loaded by all renderer processes.
- Validate patch deployment by checking chrome://settings/help on managed endpoints or through enterprise policy reporting.
Patch Information
Google released the fix in the Stable channel update on May 30, 2024. Apply Chrome 125.0.6422.141 (Windows, Mac) or the equivalent Linux build. Fedora maintainers issued package updates referenced in the Fedora Package Announcement for FEDORA-2024-D5SQOWDIVB and the Fedora Package Announcement for FEDORA-2024-ZW4TZXVPN3. See the Google Chrome Desktop Update for full release notes.
Workarounds
- No vendor-supplied workaround exists; patching is the only supported remediation.
- Restrict browsing to trusted sites using enterprise web filtering until the update is deployed.
- Enforce Chrome auto-update through ChromeAutoUpdateBlocked=false and verify update cadence via Google Admin Console policies.
# Verify Chrome version on Linux endpoints
google-chrome --version
# Update Fedora packages
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh chromium
# Windows: confirm version via registry
reg query "HKLM\Software\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
