CVE-2021-21195 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 89.0.4389.114. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 8.8, indicating its high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Organizations using affected versions of Chrome should take immediate action to mitigate this vulnerability.
The vulnerability has been classified as a 'use after free' flaw in the V8 JavaScript engine, which is part of the Chrome browser. This issue arises from improper memory management, leading to serious security risks when users interact with maliciously crafted web content. Given the ease of exploitation and high potential impact, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on vulnerable versions of Chrome.
Risk to organizations includes potential unauthorized access to sensitive data, service disruption, and exploitation of affected systems. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to protect their environments from potential attacks utilizing this vulnerability.
As of now, there are no known exploits publicly available, but the nature of the vulnerability means that it could be exploited by malicious actors. Security teams should remain vigilant and monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts in their environments.
Vulnerability Details
The use after free vulnerability in V8 allows attackers to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.8, categorized as high severity, indicating that it poses a substantial risk. The affected products include various versions of Google Chrome prior to 89.0.4389.114. The vulnerability was published on April 9, 2021, and is classified under CWE-416.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of memory in the V8 engine, which can lead to a use after free condition. Attackers can exploit this flaw through a network vector, requiring user interaction to execute the attack. The complexity of the attack is considered low, as it can be executed by simply tricking the user into visiting a malicious webpage.
To exploit this vulnerability, attackers do not require any privileges, but they do need user interaction to trigger the exploit. The impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability are rated as high, indicating that successful exploitation could lead to significant data breaches or service disruptions.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment of this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to organizations, particularly those with a significant reliance on the Chrome browser for daily operations. The potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information, coupled with the ease of exploitation, means that the blast radius for this vulnerability is considerable, affecting any user who interacts with a malicious site.
Given the CVSS score of 8.8 and the absence of known public exploits, organizations should still assess their environments for exposure and prioritize patching as part of their immediate response to this vulnerability.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
All versions of Google Chrome prior to 89.0.4389.114 are affected by this vulnerability. Additionally, Fedora versions 32, 33, and 34 are also impacted.
Mitigation & Remediation
Google has released patches for this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure that they upgrade to the latest version of Google Chrome to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. For those using Fedora, ensure that the system is updated to the latest available version to protect against this vulnerability.
If immediate patching is not possible, organizations should consider implementing network controls to limit exposure to untrusted HTML content and monitor for unusual activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct regular assessments and consider leveraging penetration testing to validate the effectiveness of their security measures.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor logs for indicators of exploitation attempts, including abnormal user interactions with web content. Behavioral anomalies such as unexpected crashes or performance issues in Chrome may also indicate potential exploitation. Additionally, network signatures associated with known malicious payloads should be reviewed to identify possible attacks leveraging this vulnerability.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2021-21195 lies in its illustration of the persistent challenges surrounding memory management in modern web browsers. As web applications continue to evolve, the potential for similar vulnerabilities will remain. Security teams should take this opportunity to review their application security practices and ensure that their development teams are trained in secure coding practices.
This vulnerability also highlights the importance of timely patch management and the need for organizations to prioritize vulnerabilities based on their potential impact. Regular security assessments and penetration testing can help organizations identify weaknesses and reinforce their defenses against similar threats.
For further insights on improving your security posture, organizations can explore resources like the vulnerability management program and best practices for penetration testing methodology.
Furthermore, organizations should keep abreast of emerging vulnerabilities and evolving attack trends to stay ahead of potential threats.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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