CVE-2023-5996
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's WebAudio component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption. Attackers can trigger this by tricking users into visiting a malicious webpage. All Chrome users prior to version 119.0.6045.123 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...
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⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within the browser sandbox.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious page) but no authentication. No public proof-of-concept has been identified.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 119.0.6045.123 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/11/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Chrome. 2. Click the three-dot menu → Help → About Google Chrome. 3. Chrome will automatically check for and install updates. 4. Click 'Relaunch' to restart Chrome with the update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable JavaScript
allTemporarily disable JavaScript to prevent exploitation via malicious webpages
chrome://settings/content/javascript → toggle to 'Blocked'
Use Browser Sandboxing
allRun Chrome in a sandboxed environment to limit potential damage
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Block access to untrusted websites using web filtering or firewall rules
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: if below 119.0.6045.123, system is vulnerableCheck Version:
google-chrome --version (Linux) or check chrome://versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 119.0.6045.123 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected process termination events
- Security event logs showing exploit attempts
Network Indicators:
- Traffic to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
- Unusual outbound connections from Chrome processes
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event_type="crash" OR process_name="chrome.exe" AND parent_process="explorer.exe")🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/11/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1497859
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2MHLJRFWZNY6BFOW25Q4FEESVWZKS4C2/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PHWLT3M2AQDFD7RNAM3NJMYUC5KHMO5V/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-07
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5551
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2023/11/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1497859
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2MHLJRFWZNY6BFOW25Q4FEESVWZKS4C2/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PHWLT3M2AQDFD7RNAM3NJMYUC5KHMO5V/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202311-11
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-07
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5551
