CVE-2023-2933
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's PDF viewer that allows remote attackers to trigger heap corruption via malicious PDF files. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution or browser crashes. All Chrome users prior to version 114.0.5735.90 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 with the same privileges as the Chrome process, potentially leading to full system compromise if Chrome runs with elevated privileges.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within Chrome's sandbox, potentially allowing data theft or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if PDF viewing is disabled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening a malicious PDF), but no authentication. Use-after-free vulnerabilities in browsers are frequently exploited in the wild.
🛠️ 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 settings → About Chrome. 2. Chrome will automatically check for and apply updates. 3. Restart Chrome when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Chrome PDF Viewer
allConfigure Chrome to use external PDF viewer instead of built-in PDFium
chrome://settings/content/pdfDocuments → Toggle 'Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome'
Block PDF downloads via proxy/firewall
allPrevent PDF files from reaching Chrome users
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to block Chrome execution
- Use network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version via chrome://settings/help or chrome://versionCheck Version:
google-chrome --version (Linux) or reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\BLBeacon" /v version (Windows)Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 114.0.5735.90 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected PDF file access in web logs
- Security software alerts for heap corruption
Network Indicators:
- Unusual PDF downloads from untrusted sources
- PDF files with abnormal structure
SIEM Query:
source="chrome_crash_reports" AND process="chrome.exe" AND error="heap_corruption" OR source="web_proxy" AND file_type="pdf" AND suspicious_pattern=*🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/05/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_30.html
- https://crbug.com/1445426
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5418
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/05/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_30.html
- https://crbug.com/1445426
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5418
