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Google has up to date its Chrome browser to patch a high-severity zero-day vulnerability that permits attackers to execute malicious code on finish consumer units. The repair marks the fifth time this 12 months 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 knowledge will reside. As a result of this area is finite, reminiscence areas must be deallocated as soon as the appliance or operation now not wants it.
Use-after-free bugs happen when the app or course of fails to clear the pointer after liberating the reminiscence location. In some circumstances, 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 outcome within the execution of this code.
On Thursday, Google stated an nameless supply notified it of the vulnerability. The vulnerability carries a severity score of 8.8 out of 10. In response, Google stated, it will 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 stated.
Google didn’t present another particulars concerning 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 mounted 5 zero-days in Chrome up to now this 12 months. 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 change into accessible. Customers can power the replace or affirm they’re operating the most recent model by going to Settings > About Chrome and checking the model and, if wanted, clicking on the Relaunch button.