CVE-2024-0224
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's WebAudio component that allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. Attackers could execute arbitrary code or cause browser crashes. All users of affected Chrome versions are vulnerable when visiting malicious websites.
💻 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 →Fedora by Fedoraproject
Fedora by Fedoraproject
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to full system compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Browser crashes, denial of service, or limited code execution within sandbox constraints.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully patched or if vulnerable versions are blocked from accessing untrusted content.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (visiting malicious page) but no authentication. Chrome's sandbox may limit impact.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 120.0.6099.199 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.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 with the fix.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WebAudio
allTemporarily disable WebAudio API via Chrome flags (breaks audio functionality)
chrome://flags/#enable-webaudio → Disabled
Block JavaScript
allUse browser extensions to block JavaScript on untrusted sites
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict browser to trusted websites only using network policies
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized Chrome execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: if below 120.0.6099.199, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
google-chrome --version (Linux) or chrome://version (all platforms)Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 120.0.6099.199 or higher after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected process termination
- Memory access violation logs
Network Indicators:
- Requests to known malicious domains hosting exploit code
- Unusual WebAudio API usage patterns
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event_type="crash" OR message="access violation")🔗 References
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1505086
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/AYONA2XSNFMXLAW4IHLFI5UVV3QRNG5K/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/D6C2HN4T2S6GYNTAUXLH45LQZHK7QPHP/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
- https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/01/stable-channel-update-for-desktop.html
- https://crbug.com/1505086
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/AYONA2XSNFMXLAW4IHLFI5UVV3QRNG5K/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/D6C2HN4T2S6GYNTAUXLH45LQZHK7QPHP/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202401-34
