CVE-2025-12437 is a use-after-free vulnerability found in the PageInfo component of Google Chrome prior to version 142.0.7444.59. Use-after-free bugs occur when a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior such as heap corruption. In this case, the vulnerability can be triggered remotely by an attacker who convinces a user to perform specific UI gestures on a maliciously crafted HTML page. These gestures cause the browser to access freed memory, corrupting the heap and potentially allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code within the context of the browser process. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating high severity, with attack vector being network-based, requiring high attack complexity, no privileges, but user interaction is necessary. The impact includes full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system through browser exploitation. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and patched in Chrome 142.0.7444.59. The lack of authentication requirements and the remote nature of the attack vector make this a significant threat, especially given Chrome's dominant market share globally. The vulnerability highlights the importance of timely patching and cautious user behavior when interacting with web content.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-12437 can be severe. Since Google Chrome is widely used across enterprises and public sectors in Europe, exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within networks if attackers gain code execution capabilities. Confidentiality breaches could expose personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Integrity of data and systems could be compromised, affecting business operations and trustworthiness of digital services. Availability could also be impacted if attackers leverage heap corruption to cause crashes or denial-of-service conditions. The requirement for user interaction means social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing the risk in environments with less stringent user awareness training. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the public disclosure increases the risk of future exploitation attempts.

1. Immediate update of all Google Chrome installations to version 142.0.7444.59 or later to apply the official patch. 2. Enforce enterprise browser update policies to ensure timely deployment of security patches. 3. Implement browser security configurations such as disabling unnecessary UI features that could be exploited by crafted gestures. 4. Educate users on the risks of interacting with suspicious web content and train them to recognize phishing and social engineering attempts. 5. Utilize endpoint protection solutions that monitor for anomalous browser behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. Deploy network-level protections such as web filtering and sandboxing to block access to malicious websites. 7. Monitor security advisories and threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploit activity related to this vulnerability. 8. Consider application isolation techniques or use of browser containers to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 9. Regularly audit and review browser extensions and plugins to minimize attack surface. 10. Coordinate with IT and security teams to ensure incident response plans include scenarios involving browser-based exploitation.