CVE-2024-7971: Google Chrome V8 Type Confusion RCE Flaw

CVE-2024-7971 Overview

Type confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 128.0.6613.84 allowed a remote attacker to exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows for potential remote code execution, posing a serious risk to systems running affected versions of Google Chrome.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-21 - CVE CVE-2024-7971 published to NVD
• 2025-10-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7971

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability arises from a type confusion issue in the V8 JavaScript engine used by Google Chrome. It allows an attacker to manipulate memory allocations improperly, leading to heap corruption and potential execution of arbitrary code.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is a lack of proper type checking in the V8 JavaScript engine, which results in improper memory handling when executing specific JavaScript constructs.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability can be exploited remotely over a network via malicious crafted HTML pages, which can be delivered through phishing emails or compromised websites.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
function triggerVulnerability(input) {
    let insecureArray = new Array(input);
    insecureArray[0] = 1.1;
    let exploit = () => insecureArray[0] = {};
    exploit();
}
triggerVulnerability(0);

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7971

Indicators of Compromise

• Abnormal process behavior in the V8 engine
• Unusual JavaScript execution patterns
• Unexpected memory allocation errors

Detection Strategies

Use behavior-based monitoring to flag unusual memory allocation and deallocation patterns in Chrome’s V8 engine. Employ anomaly detection techniques to identify deviations in normal JavaScript execution.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement network traffic analysis to detect and block delivery of known malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability. Use advanced endpoint protection solutions to monitor running processes.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7971

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to the latest version immediately.
• Employ security tools to detect and block suspicious HTML or JavaScript payloads.
• Disable JavaScript execution in browsers where feasible to reduce attack surface.

Patch Information

Users should upgrade to Google Chrome version 128.0.6613.84 or later to ensure this vulnerability is patched.

Workarounds

For environments where immediate patching is not possible, consider implementing browser extensions that block untrusted JavaScript or switch to a browser running a non-vulnerable version.

# Configuration example to disable JavaScript
sed -i 's/"JavaScriptEnabled":true/"JavaScriptEnabled":false/' ~/.config/chrome/Preferences