Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a significant vulnerability in Google Chrome, specifically within its Extensions functionality. Labeled as CVE-2025-8576, this vulnerability poses a threat to all users of the browser who utilize extensions. It effectively allows a remote attacker the potential to exploit heap corruption via a maliciously crafted Chrome Extension, which could lead to system compromise or data leakage.
This vulnerability is of particular significance due to the widespread usage of Google Chrome and its extensions. Chrome holds a substantial share of the browser market, and extensions are widely used for a variety of purposes, from productivity tools to ad blockers. Therefore, the potential impact of this vulnerability is significant, affecting millions of users worldwide.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-8576
Severity: Medium (8.8 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Google Chrome | Prior to 139.0.7258.66
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability, a ‘use-after-free’ defect, exists in the Extensions component of Google Chrome. In essence, the flaw allows memory that has been freed and potentially reassigned within the system to be accessed, leading to unpredictable behavior. An attacker could create a specially crafted Chrome Extension that triggers this flaw, corrupting the heap data structure in memory. This can open the door to various types of attacks, including execution of arbitrary code, which could lead to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
The following is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. The attacker would embed the malicious payload within the code of a Chrome Extension:
chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(function() {
chrome.declarativeContent.onPageChanged.removeRules(undefined, function() {
chrome.declarativeContent.onPageChanged.addRules([{
conditions: [new chrome.declarativeContent.PageStateMatcher({
pageUrl: {hostEquals: 'www.example.com'},
})],
actions: [new chrome.declarativeContent.RequestContentScript({
js: ["malicious_payload.js"],
})],
}]);
});
});In this example, the malicious payload (`malicious_payload.js`) would be executed when the user navigates to `www.example.com`.
Mitigation Guidance
The most effective mitigation for this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor, Google, which has been released in version 139.0.7258.66 of Chrome. Users are strongly advised to update their browsers to this version or later.
As a temporary measure, users could employ a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to monitor and potentially block malicious traffic. However, this should not be seen as a substitute for applying the vendor’s patch, as it merely reduces the risk of exploitation rather than eliminating it.