CVE-2024-6989
📋 TL;DR
This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Chrome's Loader 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 Chrome users prior to version 127.0.6533.72 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 on the victim's machine.
Likely Case
Browser crash (denial of service) or limited code execution within Chrome's sandbox, potentially leading to data exfiltration or further exploitation.
If Mitigated
No impact if Chrome is fully updated to patched version, or if exploit attempts are blocked by security controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user to visit a malicious webpage. No authentication required for initial access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 127.0.6533.72 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2024/07/stable-channel-update-for-desktop_23.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 web pages
chrome://settings/content/javascript → toggle to 'Blocked'
Use Chrome's Site Isolation
allEnsure site isolation is enabled for additional protection
chrome://flags/#site-isolation-trial-opt-out → set to 'Disabled'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Use alternative browsers until Chrome can be updated
- Implement network filtering to block known malicious domains and suspicious HTML content
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Chrome version: chrome://version/ and verify version is below 127.0.6533.72Check Version:
chrome://version/Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm Chrome version is 127.0.6533.72 or higher via chrome://version/📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Chrome crash reports
- Unexpected process terminations
- Memory access violation errors
Network Indicators:
- Requests to suspicious domains with crafted HTML
- Unusual outbound connections after visiting web pages
SIEM Query:
source="chrome" AND (event_type="crash" OR error="access_violation")