CVE-2023-3421: Use after free in Google Chrome
Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 114.0.5735.198 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2023-3421 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability affecting the Media component of Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.198. This vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory in the browser's media processing code, specifically leading to a use-after-free condition. An attacker can exploit this flaw by crafting a malicious HTML page that triggers heap corruption when processed by the vulnerable Chrome browser. The vulnerability does not require any privileges and can be exploited remotely over the network, but it does require user interaction, such as visiting a malicious or compromised website. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation could allow arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser, potentially leading to full system compromise or data theft. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 (Use After Free), a common and dangerous memory corruption issue. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild at the time of publication, the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of the flaw make it a significant threat. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on June 26, 2023, and users are advised to update to Chrome version 114.0.5735.198 or later to mitigate the risk.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk due to the widespread use of Google Chrome as a primary web browser across enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of business operations, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if attackers gain a foothold through compromised endpoints. Given the remote and network-based nature of the exploit, phishing campaigns or drive-by downloads could be effective attack vectors, increasing the likelihood of successful breaches. The impact is particularly severe for organizations handling sensitive personal data under GDPR regulations, as a breach could result in significant legal and financial consequences. Additionally, sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration, which rely heavily on secure web browsing, could face operational disruptions and reputational damage. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive patching, but the high severity score necessitates urgent remediation to prevent potential exploitation.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all Chrome installations to version 114.0.5735.198 or later. Beyond updating, organizations should implement network-level protections such as web filtering to block access to known malicious sites and employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for anomalous browser behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of interacting with untrusted web content and the importance of promptly applying browser updates. Additionally, organizations can consider deploying browser sandboxing and application whitelisting to limit the impact of any successful exploit. Regular vulnerability scanning and asset inventory management will help ensure all Chrome instances are identified and updated. For high-risk environments, restricting the use of browser extensions and enforcing strict content security policies can reduce the attack surface. Finally, incident response plans should be reviewed and updated to address potential exploitation scenarios involving browser-based memory corruption vulnerabilities.
Affected Countries
Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, Ireland
CVE-2023-3421: Use after free in Google Chrome
Description
Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 114.0.5735.198 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2023-3421 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability affecting the Media component of Google Chrome versions prior to 114.0.5735.198. This vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory in the browser's media processing code, specifically leading to a use-after-free condition. An attacker can exploit this flaw by crafting a malicious HTML page that triggers heap corruption when processed by the vulnerable Chrome browser. The vulnerability does not require any privileges and can be exploited remotely over the network, but it does require user interaction, such as visiting a malicious or compromised website. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation could allow arbitrary code execution within the context of the browser, potentially leading to full system compromise or data theft. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 (Use After Free), a common and dangerous memory corruption issue. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild at the time of publication, the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of the flaw make it a significant threat. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on June 26, 2023, and users are advised to update to Chrome version 114.0.5735.198 or later to mitigate the risk.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk due to the widespread use of Google Chrome as a primary web browser across enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information, disruption of business operations, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks if attackers gain a foothold through compromised endpoints. Given the remote and network-based nature of the exploit, phishing campaigns or drive-by downloads could be effective attack vectors, increasing the likelihood of successful breaches. The impact is particularly severe for organizations handling sensitive personal data under GDPR regulations, as a breach could result in significant legal and financial consequences. Additionally, sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration, which rely heavily on secure web browsing, could face operational disruptions and reputational damage. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive patching, but the high severity score necessitates urgent remediation to prevent potential exploitation.
Mitigation Recommendations
European organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all Chrome installations to version 114.0.5735.198 or later. Beyond updating, organizations should implement network-level protections such as web filtering to block access to known malicious sites and employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for anomalous browser behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of interacting with untrusted web content and the importance of promptly applying browser updates. Additionally, organizations can consider deploying browser sandboxing and application whitelisting to limit the impact of any successful exploit. Regular vulnerability scanning and asset inventory management will help ensure all Chrome instances are identified and updated. For high-risk environments, restricting the use of browser extensions and enforcing strict content security policies can reduce the attack surface. Finally, incident response plans should be reviewed and updated to address potential exploitation scenarios involving browser-based memory corruption vulnerabilities.
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- Chrome
- Date Reserved
- 2023-06-26T18:54:52.366Z
- Cisa Enriched
- true
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 682d981fc4522896dcbdc709
Added to database: 5/21/2025, 9:08:47 AM
Last enriched: 7/3/2025, 1:12:08 PM
Last updated: 8/15/2025, 11:21:27 AM
Views: 14
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HighActions
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