CVE-2023-2929 – This vulnerability allows remote attackers to e... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-2929?

CVE-2023-2929 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause heap corruption in Google Chrome by tricking users into visiting a malicious HTML page. It affects Chrome users on all platforms who haven't updated to version 114.0.5735.90 or later. The vulnerability exists in Swiftshader, Chrome's software-based graphics renderer.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause heap corruption in Google Chrome by tricking users into visiting a malicious HTML page. It affects Chrome users on all platforms who haven't updated to version 114.0.5735.90 or later. The vulnerability exists in Swiftshader, Chrome's software-based graphics renderer.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome
Chromium-based browsers
Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)

Versions: All versions prior to 114.0.5735.90

Operating Systems: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects all default Chrome installations. Swiftshader is used when hardware acceleration is unavailable or disabled.

📦 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...

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⚠️ 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 code execution within Chrome's sandbox.

🟢

If Mitigated

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

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Attackers can host malicious pages on public websites.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction with malicious content, which could be delivered via internal phishing.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious page) but no authentication. Chrome's sandbox may limit impact.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 114.0.5735.90 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/05/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_30.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.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable JavaScript

all

Prevents execution of malicious JavaScript that could trigger the vulnerability.

chrome://settings/content/javascript → Block

Disable Swiftshader

all

Force Chrome to use hardware acceleration only.

chrome://flags/#disable-software-rasterizer → Disable

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Use browser isolation technology to render web content in isolated containers.
Implement strict web filtering to block access to untrusted websites.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Chrome version via chrome://settings/help or 'About Google Chrome'. If version is below 114.0.5735.90, system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

google-chrome --version (Linux), 'About Google Chrome' in browser (all platforms)

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Chrome version is 114.0.5735.90 or higher after update.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Chrome crash reports with Swiftshader-related modules
Unexpected browser process termination

Network Indicators:

Requests to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
Unusual outbound connections after visiting web pages

SIEM Query:

source="chrome_crash_reports" AND module="swiftshader*"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-2929

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: May 30, 2023

Last Updated: May 5, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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