CVE-2025-7657: Google Chrome Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2025-7657 Overview

CVE-2025-7657 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the WebRTC component of Google Chrome. The flaw affects Chrome versions prior to 138.0.7204.157 and allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption through a crafted HTML page. Google classifies the Chromium security severity as High, and the vulnerability is tracked under [CWE-416]. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious web page. The issue impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected browser process.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger heap corruption in the WebRTC subsystem via a crafted HTML page, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the renderer process.

Affected Products

Google Chrome Desktop versions prior to 138.0.7204.157
Chromium-based browsers using affected WebRTC code paths
Platforms include Windows, macOS, and Linux Chrome distributions

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-15 - CVE-2025-7657 published to NVD
2025-07-15 - Google releases Chrome stable channel update for desktop
2025-07-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7657

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in WebRTC, the real-time communication framework embedded in Chrome that handles peer-to-peer audio, video, and data channel functionality. A use-after-free condition occurs when the browser continues to reference a memory object after it has been freed. An attacker who controls the freed memory region can corrupt the heap and influence program execution. WebRTC's complex lifecycle management of media streams, peer connections, and data channels makes it a recurring target for memory safety issues. Because WebRTC is reachable from JavaScript, an attacker can stage the conditions for exploitation directly from a web page without elevated privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management within WebRTC code paths, classified as [CWE-416] Use After Free. Specific technical details are tracked in the Chromium Issue Tracker Entry, which remains access-restricted pending broader patch adoption. The defect allows a dangling pointer to be dereferenced after the underlying object has been deallocated.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires a victim to visit attacker-controlled content rendered in a vulnerable Chrome instance. The attacker delivers a crafted HTML page that exercises WebRTC APIs in a sequence designed to free an object while a reference to it is still held. Successful manipulation of the heap layout can lead to renderer-process compromise. Combined with a sandbox escape, this class of issue can escalate to full system impact. The vulnerability does not require authentication and is network-reachable through any web delivery channel.

No public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Google Chrome Desktop Update advisory for vendor details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7657

Indicators of Compromise

Chrome renderer process crashes with heap corruption signatures originating from WebRTC modules
Unexpected child processes spawned by chrome.exe following visits to untrusted pages
Outbound connections to unknown WebRTC signaling endpoints from user workstations
Browser telemetry showing repeated RTCPeerConnection lifecycle anomalies

Detection Strategies

Inventory Chrome installations and flag any version below 138.0.7204.157 as vulnerable
Correlate browser crash dumps with WebRTC module stack frames to surface exploitation attempts
Monitor endpoint telemetry for post-exploitation behaviors such as renderer process injection or unexpected file writes

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable browser version compliance reporting through enterprise management consoles
Forward Chrome crash and stability telemetry to centralized logging for anomaly review
Alert on access to known malicious URLs hosting WebRTC exploitation payloads
Track unusual getUserMedia and RTCPeerConnection API patterns where browser telemetry is available

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7657

Immediate Actions Required

Update Google Chrome to version 138.0.7204.157 or later on all managed endpoints
Force-restart browser sessions to ensure patched binaries are loaded into memory
Validate update enforcement policies through Group Policy, Jamf, or MDM tooling
Prioritize remediation on systems used for high-risk browsing or administrative work

Patch Information

Google addressed CVE-2025-7657 in the Chrome stable channel update released July 15, 2025. The fix is included in version 138.0.7204.157 for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Deployment details are available in the Google Chrome Desktop Update release notes. Chromium-based browsers should adopt the corresponding upstream patch.

Workarounds

Restrict access to untrusted websites through enterprise web filtering until patches are deployed
Disable WebRTC functionality via enterprise policy where business requirements permit
Apply site isolation and strict sandbox policies to limit renderer process impact
Educate users to avoid clicking unsolicited links that could deliver crafted HTML payloads

bash

# Verify Chrome version on Windows endpoints
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version

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

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