Google patches its fifth zero-day vulnerability of the year in Chrome

Google has up to date its Chrome browser to patch a high-severity zero-day vulnerability that enables attackers to execute malicious code on finish person units. The repair marks the fifth time this yr the corporate has up to date the browser to guard customers from an present malicious exploit.

The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-4671, is a “use after free,” a category of bug that happens in C-based programming languages. In these languages, builders should allocate reminiscence area wanted to run sure functions or operations. They do that by utilizing “pointers” that retailer the reminiscence addresses the place the required information will reside. As a result of this area is finite, reminiscence areas must be deallocated as soon as the appliance or operation not wants it.

Use-after-free bugs happen when the app or course of fails to clear the pointer after releasing the reminiscence location. In some instances, the pointer to the freed reminiscence is used once more and factors to a brand new reminiscence location storing malicious shellcode planted by an attacker’s exploit, a situation that can end result within the execution of this code.

On Thursday, Google said an nameless supply notified it of the vulnerability. The vulnerability carries a severity ranking of 8.8 out of 10. In response, Google mentioned, it might be releasing variations 124.0.6367.201/.202 for macOS and Home windows and 124.0.6367.201 for Linux in subsequent days.

“Google is conscious that an exploit for CVE-2024-4671 exists within the wild,” the corporate mentioned.

Google didn’t present another particulars in regards to the exploit, resembling what platforms had been focused, who was behind the exploit, or what they had been utilizing it for.

Counting this newest vulnerability, Google has fastened 5 zero-days in Chrome to this point this yr. Three of the earlier ones had been utilized by researchers within the Pwn-to-Personal exploit contest. The remaining one was for a vulnerability for which an exploit was accessible within the wild.

Chrome robotically updates when new releases develop into accessible. Customers can pressure the replace or affirm they’re working the newest model by going to Settings > About Chrome and checking the model and, if wanted, clicking on the Relaunch button.