CVE-2025-10500: Google Chrome Use After Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-10500 Overview

CVE-2025-10500 is a Use After Free vulnerability in the Dawn graphics abstraction layer of Google Chrome prior to version 140.0.7339.185. This memory corruption flaw allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. Dawn is Chrome's WebGPU implementation, serving as the underlying graphics layer that translates WebGPU API calls to native graphics APIs (Vulkan, Metal, D3D12).

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can achieve heap corruption through maliciously crafted web content, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the browser context or complete browser compromise.

Affected Products

• Google Chrome versions prior to 140.0.7339.185
• Chrome on Microsoft Windows
• Chrome on Apple macOS
• Chrome on Linux

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-09-24 - CVE-2025-10500 published to NVD
• 2025-09-25 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-10500

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in Dawn, Google Chrome's cross-platform WebGPU implementation. A Use After Free (CWE-416) condition occurs when the application references a memory location after it has been freed. In the context of Dawn, this typically involves improper lifecycle management of GPU resources such as buffers, textures, or command encoders.

When a GPU resource object is destroyed but a dangling reference remains, subsequent access to that freed memory region can result in heap corruption. An attacker can manipulate the heap layout through carefully timed JavaScript operations to place controlled data in the freed memory region, enabling potential code execution.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper memory lifecycle management within the Dawn WebGPU implementation. Specifically, resource objects may be freed while internal references or callbacks still point to the deallocated memory. This creates a window where an attacker can trigger a use of the stale pointer, causing the application to operate on attacker-controlled heap data.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based, requiring user interaction to visit a malicious webpage. The exploitation flow involves:

1. Attacker crafts a malicious HTML page containing JavaScript that exercises the WebGPU API
2. The malicious script triggers specific sequences of GPU resource allocation and deallocation
3. By precisely timing operations, the attacker frees a GPU resource while maintaining a reference
4. The attacker sprays the heap with controlled data to occupy the freed memory region
5. When the dangling reference is accessed, the attacker-controlled data is interpreted as a valid object
6. This can lead to arbitrary code execution within the Chrome renderer process

The vulnerability requires user interaction (visiting the malicious page), but once the page is loaded, exploitation occurs automatically through JavaScript execution. See the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry for additional technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-10500

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected Chrome renderer process crashes with heap corruption signatures
• Browser memory errors or abnormal memory consumption patterns when visiting untrusted sites
• Suspicious WebGPU API calls in JavaScript content from untrusted origins

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Chrome crash reports with signatures related to Dawn or WebGPU components
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying heap exploitation attempts in browser processes
• Implement web content filtering to block known malicious domains serving exploit payloads
• Enable Chrome's enhanced safe browsing features for real-time protection

Monitoring Recommendations

• Review browser process behavior for signs of heap spray or memory corruption exploitation
• Monitor network traffic for indicators of exploitation attempts targeting browser vulnerabilities
• Implement centralized logging for browser crash events across the enterprise
• Utilize SentinelOne's behavioral AI to detect anomalous browser process activity indicative of exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-10500

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Google Chrome to version 140.0.7339.185 or later immediately across all systems
• Enable automatic Chrome updates to ensure timely deployment of security patches
• Consider blocking WebGPU access on systems where it is not required through enterprise policy
• Educate users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites

Patch Information

Google has released Chrome version 140.0.7339.185 which addresses this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize deployment of this update given the high severity rating and potential for remote exploitation. Refer to the Chrome Desktop Update Announcement for official patch details.

Workarounds

• Disable WebGPU functionality via Chrome enterprise policies if not business-critical
• Use browser isolation solutions to contain potential exploitation attempts
• Implement strict content security policies to limit JavaScript execution from untrusted sources
• Deploy network-based filtering to block access to known malicious domains

# Chrome enterprise policy to disable WebGPU (if not required)
# Add to Chrome policy configuration
{
  "WebGPUEnabled": false
}