CVE-2024-9123: Google Chrome RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-9123 Overview

CVE-2024-9123 is an integer overflow vulnerability in the Skia graphics library used by Google Chrome versions prior to 129.0.6668.70. A remote attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds memory write by serving a crafted HTML page to a target user. Chromium engineers rated the issue High severity, and Google addressed it in the Stable Channel desktop update released in September 2024. The vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-190] Integer Overflow and [CWE-472] External Control of Assumed-Immutable Web Parameter.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation enables out-of-bounds memory writes in the Chrome renderer, providing a path toward remote code execution when a victim visits an attacker-controlled page.

Affected Products

Google Chrome desktop versions prior to 129.0.6668.70
Chromium-based browsers consuming the vulnerable Skia component
Any application embedding the affected Skia rendering code from the same release window

Discovery Timeline

2024-09-25 - CVE-2024-9123 published to NVD
2025-11-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-9123

Vulnerability Analysis

The flaw resides in Skia, the 2D graphics library that Chrome uses to rasterize web content, including Canvas, SVG, and CSS effects. An integer overflow during size or offset arithmetic produces a smaller-than-expected buffer allocation or an incorrect index. Subsequent write operations exceed the intended bounds, corrupting adjacent heap memory in the renderer process.

An attacker controls the input by crafting HTML, CSS, or graphics primitives that drive Skia into the vulnerable arithmetic path. Memory corruption inside the renderer can be chained with a sandbox escape to achieve full remote code execution. User interaction is required because the victim must load the malicious page.

Root Cause

The root cause is unchecked integer arithmetic on attacker-influenced dimensions or counts within Skia. When the computed value wraps around the integer type's maximum, downstream allocation and bounds checks operate on truncated values. The renderer then performs a write past the end of the legitimate buffer.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network through a standard browser navigation. The attacker hosts a crafted page or injects malicious markup into a trusted site through ads, iframes, or compromised dependencies. The victim only needs to visit the page for the vulnerable Skia code path to execute.

No authentication is required, and the renderer process handles the malicious content automatically. Technical details for the issue are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-9123

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer processes crashing with access violation or heap corruption signatures while rendering graphics-heavy pages
Browser telemetry showing unexpected child process spawns from chrome.exe after visiting untrusted sites
Outbound connections from renderer or helper processes to previously unseen domains immediately following a page load

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed Chrome versions across the fleet and flag any build below 129.0.6668.70 as vulnerable
Correlate browser crash dumps referencing skia modules with subsequent process or network anomalies
Monitor web proxy and DNS logs for navigation to domains hosting suspicious HTML, SVG, or Canvas payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable enterprise browser reporting to centralize version and crash telemetry from managed Chrome installations
Alert on child processes spawned by chrome.exe that are not part of normal browser operation
Track file writes and persistence attempts originating from browser process trees after high-risk browsing sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-9123

Immediate Actions Required

Update all Google Chrome desktop installations to version 129.0.6668.70 or later as detailed in the Google Chrome Stable Update
Restart Chrome on every managed endpoint to ensure the patched binaries are loaded into memory
Patch downstream Chromium-based browsers once their vendors release builds that incorporate the fixed Skia code

Patch Information

Google resolved the issue in Chrome Stable 129.0.6668.70 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Administrators should deploy the update through enterprise management tooling such as Chrome Browser Cloud Management, group policy, or MDM. Verify deployment by querying chrome://version or equivalent inventory data after rollout.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to trusted sites through web filtering or allowlisting until patching is complete
Disable or limit hardware-accelerated graphics features for high-risk user groups when patch deployment is delayed
Use site isolation and enterprise policies to constrain renderer process privileges and reduce post-exploitation impact

bash

# Verify Chrome version on Linux endpoints
google-chrome --version

# Expected output should be 129.0.6668.70 or higher
# Example: Google Chrome 129.0.6668.70