CVE-2024-9120: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2024-9120 Overview

CVE-2024-9120 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Dawn component of Google Chrome on Windows. Dawn is Chrome's implementation of the WebGPU standard, providing a low-level graphics and compute API for web applications. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page, which could lead to arbitrary code execution or browser crashes.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit heap corruption through malicious web content, potentially achieving code execution in the context of the browser process.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 129.0.6668.70 on Windows
• Microsoft Windows (as the affected platform)

Discovery Timeline

• September 25, 2024 - CVE-2024-9120 published to NVD
• January 2, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9120

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), a memory corruption vulnerability that occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed. In the context of the Dawn WebGPU implementation, this can occur when GPU resources or internal data structures are deallocated but references to them persist in the codebase.

Use-after-free vulnerabilities in browser graphics components are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered through JavaScript interacting with WebGPU APIs. An attacker could craft a malicious HTML page that manipulates GPU resource lifecycles to trigger the vulnerability, potentially corrupting the heap and gaining control of program execution.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in improper memory management within the Dawn component. Specifically, an object or memory region associated with WebGPU operations is freed prematurely while references to it still exist elsewhere in the code. When these dangling references are subsequently accessed, the program operates on invalid memory, leading to heap corruption.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring user interaction. An attacker would need to:

1. Host a malicious HTML page containing crafted JavaScript code
2. Entice a victim to visit the page using a vulnerable version of Google Chrome on Windows
3. The malicious code would interact with WebGPU/Dawn APIs in a specific sequence to trigger the use-after-free condition
4. Upon successful exploitation, heap corruption could lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service

The vulnerability is exploitable through standard web browsing scenarios, making it a significant risk for users who may encounter malicious advertisements, compromised websites, or phishing attacks.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9120

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected Chrome browser crashes, particularly when visiting websites using WebGPU features
• Chrome crash reports indicating memory corruption or heap-related errors in Dawn components
• Unusual JavaScript execution patterns involving WebGPU API calls

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome crash dumps referencing Dawn or WebGPU-related modules
• Implement web filtering to block known malicious pages exploiting this vulnerability
• Enable Chrome's built-in crash reporting and review for patterns indicating exploitation attempts
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying memory corruption exploitation techniques

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review browser update status across endpoints to identify vulnerable Chrome installations
• Monitor network traffic for connections to known malicious infrastructure targeting browser vulnerabilities
• Enable enhanced logging for browser activities in high-security environments
• Correlate Chrome crash events with network activity to identify potential exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9120

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 129.0.6668.70 or later immediately
• Enable automatic updates to ensure timely deployment of security patches
• Consider restricting access to untrusted websites until patching is complete
• Review and audit Chrome deployment versions across the organization

Patch Information

Google has addressed this vulnerability in Chrome version 129.0.6668.70. The fix was released as part of the Chrome Stable Channel Update on September 24, 2024. Organizations should prioritize updating all Chrome installations to this version or later.

Additional technical details about this vulnerability can be found in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling WebGPU functionality via Chrome enterprise policies
• Implement network-level filtering to block potentially malicious web content
• Use browser isolation technologies to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Consider using alternative browsers temporarily until Chrome can be updated

# Chrome enterprise policy to disable WebGPU (if patching is delayed)
# Add to Chrome policy configuration
# Note: This may impact web applications requiring WebGPU functionality

# Windows Registry approach:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome" /v WebGPUEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f