CVE-2024-6989: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-6989 Overview

CVE-2024-6989 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Loader component of Google Chrome prior to version 127.0.6533.72. A remote attacker can exploit heap corruption by tricking a user into visiting a crafted HTML page. The flaw is classified under CWE-416: Use After Free and was rated High severity by the Chromium security team. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution within the renderer process, providing a foothold for sandbox escape chains.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger heap corruption via a malicious web page, potentially achieving code execution in the browser renderer process.

Affected Products

Google Chrome versions prior to 127.0.6533.72 (Desktop)
Chromium-based browsers sharing the affected Loader code
All operating systems running vulnerable Chrome builds (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Discovery Timeline

2024-08-06 - CVE-2024-6989 published to NVD
2024-08-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6989

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Chrome's Loader component, which manages resource fetching and lifecycle for web content. A use-after-free condition occurs when the Loader releases a heap-allocated object while a reference to that memory remains accessible. Subsequent operations dereference the stale pointer, allowing an attacker to manipulate freed memory regions.

Attackers craft HTML pages that orchestrate specific load and navigation sequences to trigger the dangling reference. Heap grooming techniques position attacker-controlled data into the freed slot. Once the stale pointer is dereferenced, the attacker can corrupt object virtual tables or function pointers, leading to controlled code execution inside the renderer process.

Exploitation requires user interaction, typically visiting a malicious site or following a link. The renderer-level compromise is often combined with a sandbox escape vulnerability to achieve full system access.

Root Cause

The defect is an object lifetime management error in the Loader subsystem. Reference counting or ownership semantics fail to keep an object alive across asynchronous operations, leaving callers with a pointer to deallocated memory.

Attack Vector

Exploitation is network-based and requires the victim to load attacker-controlled HTML and JavaScript. No authentication is required. The crafted page drives the Loader through state transitions that free the target object while still in use. No public proof-of-concept or exploit code is currently available.

For technical specifics, refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Desktop Update.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6989

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer process crashes with heap corruption signatures originating from the Loader module
Unexpected child processes spawned by chrome.exe after visiting unfamiliar URLs
Outbound connections from browser processes to recently registered or low-reputation domains
Browser version strings below 127.0.6533.72 observed in user-agent telemetry

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed Chrome versions across managed endpoints and flag builds older than 127.0.6533.72
Hunt for anomalous renderer process behavior including memory access violations and unexpected module loads
Correlate web proxy logs with endpoint telemetry to identify users visiting suspicious pages followed by browser instability

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable browser telemetry forwarding to a central SIEM for crash and exception analysis
Monitor for parent-child process anomalies involving chrome.exe spawning shells, scripting hosts, or unsigned binaries
Track DNS queries and HTTP requests from browser processes to threat intelligence feeds for known malicious infrastructure

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6989

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 127.0.6533.72 or later on all endpoints immediately
Verify enterprise update channels and group policies are not blocking the patched build
Restart browser sessions after updates to ensure the patched binaries are loaded

Patch Information

Google released the fix in Chrome Stable channel version 127.0.6533.72 for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Details are available in the Google Chrome Desktop Update announcement. Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera should be updated to versions incorporating the upstream fix.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to trusted sites using web filtering or DNS-based controls until patching completes
Deploy enterprise browser policies enforcing automatic updates and disabling deferred upgrades
Apply application sandboxing and least-privilege user accounts to limit post-exploitation impact

bash

# Verify installed Chrome version on Linux/macOS
google-chrome --version

# Windows PowerShell: check Chrome version via registry
Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\Software\Google\Update\Clients\*' |
  Where-Object { $_.name -eq 'Google Chrome' } |
  Select-Object name, pv