CVE-2021-30614 – This is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-30614?

CVE-2021-30614 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in Chromium's TabStrip component that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. It affects all Chromium-based browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other derivatives. Users who haven't updated their browsers are vulnerable to exploitation.

📋 TL;DR

This is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in Chromium's TabStrip component that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. It affects all Chromium-based browsers including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other derivatives. Users who haven't updated their browsers are vulnerable to exploitation.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Chromium-based browsers

Versions: Chromium versions before 93.0.4577.63

Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default configurations are vulnerable. Affects both desktop and mobile versions.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.

🟠

Likely Case

Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within browser sandbox.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if browser is fully patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Browser vulnerabilities are directly exposed to web content.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Internal web applications could also trigger the vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Heap buffer overflows typically require specific memory manipulation knowledge but can be reliably exploited.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Chrome 93.0.4577.63 and later, Edge 93.0.961.38 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2021/08/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_31.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open browser settings 2. Navigate to 'About Chrome/Edge' 3. Browser will automatically check for and apply updates 4. Restart browser when prompted

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable JavaScript

all

Prevents exploitation by disabling JavaScript execution in browser

Use Browser Sandboxing

all

Run browser in sandboxed environment to limit impact

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict browser to trusted websites only
Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized browser execution

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check browser version in settings > About Chrome/Edge

Check Version:

chrome://version/ or edge://version/

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm browser version is 93.0.4577.63 or higher for Chrome, 93.0.961.38 or higher for Edge

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Browser crash logs with memory access violations
Unexpected browser termination events

Network Indicators:

Unusual outbound connections from browser process
Exploit kit traffic patterns

SIEM Query:

source="browser_logs" AND (event="crash" OR event="access_violation") AND version<93

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-30614

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-787

Published: September 3, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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