CriticalCVE-2024-4671

    Google Chromium Visuals Use-After-Free Vulnerability (CVE-2024-4671)

    Published In CISA KEV since Sources: BSI, SingCERT, Debian, pwn.watch, CVE.org

    What is affected, what to do

    Use after free in Visuals in Google Chrome prior to 124.0.6367.201 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

    The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. The available sources name no fixed version. Check the vendor guidance in the references below. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.

    Conflicting version data — version display is hidden until the data is resolved.

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    9.6

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v3

    9.6

    CVSS v3

    Severity Critical on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: BSI, SingCERT, Debian, pwn.watch, CVE.org

    8.4 %

    EPSS score

    Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 94.9

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    225.25 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    actively exploitedSource: VulnCheck KEV (opens in a new tab), CSA/SingCERT How we classify
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    9.6 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    9.6
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

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    8.4 %
    Moderate — model estimates 1-10% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

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    94.9
    Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited
    Published
    In CISA KEV since

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    CISA assessment (SSVC)
    Exploitation: active · not automatable · Technical impact: total
    Source: CISA Vulnrichment, as of 14 May 2024
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-416

    Response and mitigation

    Why act now?

    Prioritisation rationale

    Google confirmed this flaw as a zero-day. It serves as the sandbox-escape link in an exploit chain: an attacker first compromises the renderer through a separate bug, then uses this Visuals use-after-free to break out of the sandbox. The chain gives full host compromise from nothing more than a visit to a crafted page. The flaw is network-reachable without authentication, needs only user interaction, and crosses a security boundary (scope change), so it should be treated as critical. Its exploitation likelihood is well above the CVE baseline. CISA does not list known ransomware use. Typical targets are organisations with high-value individuals and privileged users. Because the browser runs on essentially every workstation, roll out the patch fleet-wide within 24–72 hours with an enforced relaunch, starting with admin and OT-adjacent endpoints.

    1. Runbook step 1

      Immediate response (0-24 h)

      • Update Google Chrome now: Target at least 124.0.6367.201 on Linux and 124.0.6367.201/.202 on Windows and macOS. Push the update via Google Update or Chrome Browser Cloud Management and force a browser relaunch. A downloaded but un-relaunched update leaves the browser vulnerable.
      • Patch every other Chromium-based browser: Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi and other Chromium derivatives are also affected. A patch is available from each vendor — look up the fixed version in the vendor advisory (for Edge: the Microsoft Security Update Guide or Edge release notes for CVE-2024-4671).
      • Check Linux package fleets: On Fedora 38, 39 and 40, run dnf upgrade --refresh chromium. Confirm the package version in the Fedora update advisory. Apply the same check to other distributions and to Snap/Flatpak installs.
      • Inventory versions: Use EDR, Intune or osquery to list every endpoint below 124.0.6367.201, e.g. SELECT name, version FROM programs WHERE name LIKE '%Chrome%';. Move hosts that cannot be updated into a quarantine group with restricted web access.
      • Prioritise privileged endpoints: Patch admin workstations, jump hosts and machines with reach into OT or critical-infrastructure segments first. Enforce a no-browsing rule on servers and jump hosts.

    2. Runbook step 2

      Mitigation layers

      • Configuration/GPO: Set RelaunchNotification=2 with a short RelaunchNotificationPeriod (e.g. 4 h) to force relaunches. Enforce auto-update with UpdateDefault=1 in the Google Update ADMX templates. Use BrowserSwitcher or ExtensionInstallBlocklist to prevent unmanaged Chromium browsers. Set the equivalent RelaunchNotification and UpdateDefault policies for Edge.
      • Network/proxy: Block uncategorised, newly registered and low-reputation domains at the secure web gateway. Delivery is via crafted HTML pages, typically through watering holes, malvertising or phishing links. Route any unpatched clients only through a restrictive proxy path.
      • Endpoint hardening: Never run Chromium with its sandbox disabled. Use EDR or AppLocker to verify no browser launches with --no-sandbox. Enable the Microsoft Defender ASR rules "Block executable files from running unless they meet a prevalence, age, or trusted list criterion" and "Block process creations originating from PSExec and WMI commands" to hinder second-stage payloads after a sandbox escape.
      • Isolation: Give high-risk users (admins, executives, procurement) remote browser isolation or Microsoft Defender Application Guard, or use Edge enhanced security mode set to "Strict". This shrinks the JIT attack surface used for the preceding renderer compromise.
      • IAM/least privilege: Run browsers only under standard user accounts. Remove local admin rights so that a successful sandbox escape does not immediately give the attacker full control of the host.

    3. Runbook step 3

      Detection rules

      • EDR/Sysmon EID 1 – process ancestry: Detect unusual child processes spawned by a browser. KQL: DeviceProcessEvents | where InitiatingProcessFileName in~ ("chrome.exe","msedge.exe","opera.exe","brave.exe") | where FileName in~ ("cmd.exe","powershell.exe","pwsh.exe","rundll32.exe","regsvr32.exe","mshta.exe","wscript.exe","cscript.exe"). Allowlist known legitimate helpers such as updaters and native-messaging hosts.
      • Crash telemetry: Windows Event ID 1000/1001 (Application Error/WER) for chrome.exe/msedge.exe with exception code 0xc0000005 often clusters before a stable exploit lands. On Linux, review journald systemd-coredump entries for Chromium browser or GPU processes. Investigate any per-host clusters.
      • Sysmon EID 11/EID 13: Flag a browser process writing files outside its profile and cache paths (e.g. %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, %TEMP%\*.exe|*.dll). Also flag Run-key modifications where Image is a browser binary.
      • Version compliance as detection: Run a daily SIEM report on proxy-log user agents. Flag Chrome/124.0.6367.(?!20[12]) and anything below major version 124. Map Edge user agents against the fixed version published by Microsoft.
      • Network (Zeek/Suricata): Correlate a browser visit to a newly registered domain followed shortly by a non-browser process beaconing outbound. Review hits in the Suricata ET EXPLOIT_KIT and ET CURRENT_EVENTS categories.

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    Use after free in Visuals in Google Chrome prior to 124.0.6367.201 allowed a remote attacker who had compromised the renderer process to potentially perform a sandbox escape via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)

    Source: BSI CSAF, BSI WID Portal, CSA/SingCERT, Debian Security Advisories, pwn.watch, NVD (NIST), cvelistv5, CISA KEV Catalog, CVE.org (MITRE)

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    GoogleChrome
    • < 124.0.6367.201
    • < 124.0.6367.201
    • < 124.0.6367.202
    • 124.0.6367.201
    • 124.0.6367.201
    • 124.0.6367.202
    googlechrome
    • < 124.0.6367.201
    • 124.0.6367.201

    Vendors and products

    Affected operating systems

    Affected operating systems
    Linuxdebianchromiumbookworm
    Otherfedoraprojectfedora38
    Otherfedoraprojectfedora39
    Otherfedoraprojectfedora40

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-416Use After Free

      Variant

      The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-416

    Public exploit references

    Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.

    Public exploit references
    CISA KEV CatalogCISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.govactively exploited
    CSA/SingCERTActive Exploitation of Zero-Day Vulnerability in Google Chrome (opens in a new tab)CSA/SingCERTactively exploited

    References & sources

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