CVE-2025-0444: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0444 Overview

CVE-2025-0444 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Skia graphics library used by Google Chrome before version 133.0.6943.53. A remote attacker can exploit heap corruption through a crafted HTML page that triggers freed memory access in Skia rendering routines. The flaw requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious page, and falls under CWE-416: Use After Free. Google rates the Chromium security severity as High, while the NVD CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.3 (Medium).

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation can corrupt the heap inside the renderer process, enabling attackers to influence Chrome execution flow via a malicious web page.

Affected Products

Google Chrome versions prior to 133.0.6943.53
Chromium-based browsers integrating the same Skia component
Desktop builds across supported operating systems

Discovery Timeline

2025-02-04 - CVE-2025-0444 published to NVD
2025-04-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0444

Vulnerability Analysis

The defect lives in Skia, the 2D graphics library Chrome uses to rasterize web content. Skia handles canvas operations, image decoding, path rendering, and GPU-backed drawing primitives. A use-after-free occurs when code references a heap object after that object's memory has already been released back to the allocator.

In this case, a crafted HTML page drives Skia into a state where an internal object is freed while another code path retains a stale pointer. Subsequent operations dereference the dangling pointer, producing heap corruption inside the renderer process. The attack vector is network-based and requires the victim to load attacker-controlled content.

The EPSS probability for exploitation is 0.293%, reflecting low observed exploitation activity at this time.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management in Skia [CWE-416]. The component releases a heap allocation while another reference remains live, violating the invariant that all aliases must be invalidated before deallocation. Memory reuse by the allocator then places attacker-influenced data into the location the stale pointer still references.

Attack Vector

An attacker hosts a malicious HTML page containing graphics or canvas operations crafted to drive Skia into the vulnerable code path. When a victim visits the page, the renderer triggers the free and the dangling reference, corrupting the heap. The renderer sandbox limits direct system impact, but chained with a sandbox escape the bug supports broader compromise. Refer to the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry and the Google Chrome Release Note for upstream details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0444

Indicators of Compromise

Renderer process crashes referencing Skia modules such as libskia or skia.dll with heap corruption signatures
Chrome browser versions reporting below 133.0.6943.53 in fleet inventory
Outbound connections from Chrome to unfamiliar domains immediately preceding renderer crash events

Detection Strategies

Inventory installed Chrome versions across managed endpoints and flag any build older than 133.0.6943.53
Monitor Windows Error Reporting, macOS CrashReporter, and Linux core dumps for repeated chrome.exe renderer faults tied to Skia
Correlate browsing history or proxy logs with renderer crash timestamps to identify the triggering URL

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward endpoint crash telemetry to a centralized SIEM and alert on Skia-related renderer faults
Track browser update compliance through patch management dashboards and enforce minimum version policies
Watch web proxy logs for high-risk content categories delivering uncommon HTML or canvas payloads to Chrome clients

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0444

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 133.0.6943.53 or later on all managed endpoints
Restart browser instances after patch deployment to ensure the vulnerable Skia library is unloaded
Audit Chromium-based applications and embedded browsers for upstream Skia updates

Patch Information

Google released the fix in the Chrome Stable channel update on February 4, 2025, raising the version to 133.0.6943.53. Deployment details are documented in the Google Chrome Release Note. Enterprises using managed Chrome should push the updated MSI or PKG via their existing software distribution tooling.

Workarounds

Restrict browsing to trusted sites using URL filtering until patching completes
Enforce Chrome auto-update through ChromeEnterprise policies to prevent version drift
Disable hardware acceleration in high-risk environments to reduce exposure of Skia GPU code paths, accepting the performance tradeoff

bash

# Verify Chrome version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Update\Clients\{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" /v pv

# Verify Chrome version on macOS
/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --version

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