CVE-2023-5476 – This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrom... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-5476?

CVE-2023-5476 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Blink History component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. Attackers could execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. All Chrome users prior to version 118.0.5993.70 are affected.

📋 TL;DR

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Blink History component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. Attackers could execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. All Chrome users prior to version 118.0.5993.70 are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Google Chrome
Chromium-based browsers

Versions: All versions prior to 118.0.5993.70

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

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All standard Chrome installations are vulnerable; extensions don't mitigate

📦 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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Debian Linux by Debian

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Debian Linux by Debian

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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 in sandboxed context

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched; sandboxing may limit exploit effectiveness

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Exploitable via visiting malicious websites

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Requires user interaction with crafted content

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires user to visit malicious website; Chrome's sandbox may complicate exploitation

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 118.0.5993.70 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_10.html

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Open Chrome 2. Click menu → Help → About Google Chrome 3. Allow update to download 4. Click Relaunch when prompted

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable JavaScript

all

Prevents exploitation by blocking JavaScript execution

chrome://settings/content/javascript → Block

Use site isolation

all

Enhances Chrome's site isolation for additional protection

chrome://flags/#enable-site-per-process → Enable

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict web browsing to trusted sites only
Implement application whitelisting to block Chrome execution

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Chrome version in menu → Help → About Google Chrome

Check Version:

google-chrome --version (Linux) or chrome://version

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 118.0.5993.70 or higher

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Chrome crash reports
Unexpected process termination events

Network Indicators:

Requests to suspicious domains with crafted HTML

SIEM Query:

process_name:"chrome.exe" AND (event_id:1000 OR event_id:1001) OR http_user_agent:"Chrome/11[0-7]"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-5476

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-416

Published: October 11, 2023

Last Updated: May 1, 2025

🔗 References

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_10.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1474253 Permissions Required
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-07 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5526 Third Party Advisory
https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/10/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_10.html Release Notes,Vendor Advisory
https://crbug.com/1474253 Permissions Required
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-07 Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5526 Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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