CVE-2023-5472 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability identified in the Profiles component of Google Chrome versions prior to 118.0.5993.117. This vulnerability arises when the browser improperly manages memory related to user profiles, leading to a use-after-free condition. Specifically, a remote attacker can craft a malicious HTML page that, when loaded by a victim's browser, triggers heap corruption due to the use-after-free bug. Heap corruption can lead to arbitrary code execution, allowing the attacker to execute code in the context of the browser process. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or prior authentication but does require user interaction in the form of visiting a malicious webpage. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the critical impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction necessary. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-416 (Use After Free), a common and dangerous memory corruption issue. Although no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, the potential for exploitation is significant given the widespread use of Google Chrome and the nature of the vulnerability. The flaw was publicly disclosed on October 25, 2023, and users are advised to update to version 118.0.5993.117 or later where the issue is patched.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-5472 can be substantial due to the widespread use of Google Chrome as a primary web browser across enterprises, government agencies, and critical infrastructure sectors. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely, potentially leading to data breaches, espionage, or disruption of services. Confidentiality could be compromised through unauthorized access to sensitive information processed or displayed in the browser. Integrity and availability of systems could also be affected if attackers leverage the vulnerability to install malware, ransomware, or disrupt browser functionality. Given the reliance on web applications and cloud services accessed via Chrome, this vulnerability could serve as an entry point for broader network compromise. The requirement for user interaction (visiting a malicious webpage) means that phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to trigger exploitation, increasing the risk to organizations with less mature cybersecurity awareness programs. The absence of known active exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity score underscores the urgency of patching.

European organizations should prioritize updating all instances of Google Chrome to version 118.0.5993.117 or later immediately to remediate this vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Deploy browser security policies that restrict or monitor the loading of untrusted or suspicious web content, including the use of URL filtering and web content scanning. 2) Enhance email and web gateway defenses to detect and block phishing attempts that could lure users to malicious HTML pages exploiting this flaw. 3) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying anomalous browser behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 4) Conduct targeted user awareness training focused on recognizing and avoiding phishing and social engineering tactics that could lead to exploitation. 5) Utilize browser sandboxing and isolation technologies to limit the impact of any successful exploitation. 6) Monitor security advisories and threat intelligence feeds for any emergence of active exploits to adjust defenses accordingly. These steps, combined with prompt patching, will significantly reduce the risk posed by this vulnerability.