CVE-2019-13690
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges to OS-level on ChromeOS devices by tricking a user into opening a malicious file. It affects ChromeOS devices running Google Chrome versions before 75.0.3770.80. The attacker could gain full control of the device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome on ChromeOS
📦 What is this software?
Chrome by Google
Google Chrome is the world's most popular web browser, used by over 3 billion users globally across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms. As a Chromium-based browser developed by Google, Chrome dominates the browser market with approximately 65% market share, making it a critical compon...
Learn more about Chrome →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of ChromeOS device with root-level access, allowing installation of persistent malware, data theft, and device takeover.
Likely Case
Attacker gains elevated privileges to install malicious software, access sensitive files, or pivot to other systems on the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if device is isolated, has strict file execution policies, or user doesn't open untrusted files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction (opening malicious file). Technical details and proof-of-concept are publicly available in Chromium bug reports.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 75.0.3770.80 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2019/06/stable-channel-update-for-chrome-os.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open ChromeOS settings 2. Click 'About Chrome OS' 3. Click 'Check for updates' 4. Install any available updates 5. Restart device when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable automatic file execution
allConfigure ChromeOS to require explicit user permission before executing downloaded files
Restrict file downloads
allUse enterprise policies to block file downloads from untrusted sources
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate affected ChromeOS devices from critical networks
- Implement strict user education about opening untrusted files
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version in Settings > About Chrome OS. If version is below 75.0.3770.80, device is vulnerable.Check Version:
chrome://version in Chrome browser address barVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 75.0.3770.80 or higher in Settings > About Chrome OS.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected privilege escalation events
- Suspicious file execution from downloads
- Unusual process creation with elevated privileges
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of suspicious files followed by unusual outbound connections
SIEM Query:
source="chromeos" AND (event_type="privilege_escalation" OR process_name="chrome" AND parent_process="unexpected")