CVE-2023-3730
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Tab Groups feature that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by convincing users to interact with a specially crafted HTML page. All Chrome users prior to version 115.0.5790.98 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 malware installation.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited information disclosure from memory corruption.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is updated to patched version or if users avoid suspicious websites.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction with malicious webpage. No public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 115.0.5790.98 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
Open Chrome
Click three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome
Chrome will automatically check for and install updates
Click 'Relaunch' when prompted
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Tab Groups
allDisable the Tab Groups feature to prevent exploitation
chrome://flags/#tab-groups
Set to 'Disabled'
Relaunch Chrome
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use alternative browsers until Chrome can be updated
- Implement strict web filtering to block malicious sites
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version in Settings → About ChromeCheck Version:
google-chrome --version (Linux) or chrome://version (all platforms)Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Chrome version is 115.0.5790.98 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected tab group creation/deletion
Network Indicators:
- Connections to suspicious domains with crafted HTML
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event="crash" OR event="tab_group")🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1453465
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PQKT7EGDD2P3L7S3NXEDDRCPK4NNZNWJ/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1453465
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PQKT7EGDD2P3L7S3NXEDDRCPK4NNZNWJ/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
