CVE-2023-1218
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a use-after-free memory corruption flaw in Chrome's WebRTC component. It allows remote attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by tricking users into visiting a malicious webpage. All Chrome users prior to version 111.0.5563.64 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Google Chrome
- Chromium-based browsers
📦 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
Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited memory corruption leading to information disclosure.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is updated to patched version or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious page) but no authentication. Memory corruption vulnerabilities in Chrome are frequently exploited in the wild.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 111.0.5563.64 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/03/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the patched version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WebRTC
allTemporarily disable WebRTC functionality to prevent exploitation
chrome://flags/#disable-webrtc
Set 'WebRTC' flag to 'Disabled'
Use Chrome Enterprise policies
allDeploy policies to block vulnerable versions or restrict WebRTC
Configure Chrome Enterprise policies via GPO or MDM
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Deploy web filtering to block malicious sites and restrict access to untrusted web content
- Implement application control to prevent execution of unauthorized processes from browser context
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version via chrome://version or 'About Google Chrome' pageCheck Version:
chrome://versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 111.0.5563.64 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected process termination events
- Memory access violation logs
Network Indicators:
- Requests to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
- Unusual WebRTC traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_crash_reports" AND version<"111.0.5563.64"