CVE-2024-6776: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-6776 Overview

CVE-2024-6776 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Audio component of Google Chrome prior to version 126.0.6478.182. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability was assigned a high security severity rating by Chromium.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit this use-after-free vulnerability to potentially achieve arbitrary code execution by enticing a user to visit a malicious webpage containing specially crafted audio content.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 126.0.6478.182

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-07-16 - CVE-2024-6776 published to NVD
• 2024-12-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6776

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability belongs to the use-after-free (UAF) class of memory corruption flaws (CWE-416). In the context of the Chrome Audio component, the vulnerability occurs when the browser incorrectly handles memory during audio processing operations. When an object in memory is freed but a pointer to that memory location is still retained and subsequently dereferenced, the browser accesses invalid memory regions. This heap corruption can be triggered remotely through specially crafted HTML content that manipulates audio functionality.

The attack requires user interaction—specifically, the victim must navigate to a malicious webpage. Once exploited, attackers can potentially achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser process, leading to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-6776 lies in improper memory lifecycle management within Chrome's Audio subsystem. The vulnerability stems from a dangling pointer scenario where audio-related objects are deallocated while references to those objects still exist in the codebase. When these stale references are later accessed during audio processing, the browser operates on freed memory, creating an exploitable condition. This type of flaw typically arises from complex object lifetime management in multithreaded audio processing code where synchronization between component creation, use, and destruction is not properly maintained.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires user interaction. An attacker can exploit this flaw by hosting a malicious webpage containing specially crafted HTML and JavaScript that manipulates the browser's audio APIs to trigger the use-after-free condition. When a victim visits the attacker-controlled page, the malicious audio content causes the browser to access freed memory in the heap.

The exploitation mechanism involves creating audio objects, triggering their deallocation through specific API calls or browser behaviors, and then forcing the browser to reference the freed memory. Successful exploitation corrupts heap memory, which attackers can leverage to gain control over program execution. Depending on the exploit sophistication, this could lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process.

For technical details regarding this vulnerability, refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Desktop Update announcement.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6776

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected browser crashes or instability when accessing audio-heavy websites
• Chrome crash reports indicating heap corruption in audio-related components
• Memory access violations logged in system event logs during browser audio operations
• Anomalous network requests to unknown domains followed by browser instability

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Google Chrome versions below 126.0.6478.182 across enterprise assets using software inventory tools
• Deploy endpoint detection rules that identify suspicious audio API usage patterns in web content
• Implement browser telemetry collection to detect abnormal crash patterns related to audio processing
• Use SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect post-exploitation activities following browser compromise

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting and review crash dumps for audio component failures
• Configure network monitoring to detect connections to known malicious domains hosting exploit kits
• Implement application whitelisting to restrict execution of unauthorized binaries spawned from browser processes
• Monitor for unusual child process creation from Chrome that may indicate successful code execution

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6776

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 126.0.6478.182 or later immediately
• Enable automatic updates in Chrome settings to ensure timely patching of future vulnerabilities
• Review and restrict browser extensions that may interact with audio APIs
• Consider deploying browser isolation solutions for high-risk users

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 126.0.6478.182. The fix resolves the improper memory handling in the Audio component that led to the use-after-free condition. Users and administrators should update all Chrome installations to this version or later. Detailed patch information is available in the Google Chrome Desktop Update release notes.

Workarounds

• Disable JavaScript execution on untrusted websites using browser settings or extensions to reduce attack surface
• Use Chrome's Site Isolation feature to contain potential exploits within isolated renderer processes
• Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers on trusted web applications to restrict audio API usage from untrusted sources
• Consider using enterprise browser policies to restrict access to unknown or uncategorized websites

# Verify Chrome version via command line
# Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version

# Windows (PowerShell)
(Get-Item "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe").VersionInfo.FileVersion

# Update Chrome via command line (Linux example)
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade google-chrome-stable