Google Chrome and Chromium-based Browsers V8 Engine Type Confusion Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2023-4762)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTGoogle Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (such as Microsoft Edge) prior to version 116.0.5845.179
A remote attacker can execute arbitrary code and compromise the target system by enticing a user to visit a specially crafted HTML page
Immediately update your browser to the latest stable version (116.0.5845.179 or higher)
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
To update Google Chrome to the latest secure version on Debian/Ubuntu-based Linux systems, execute the following commands:
# Update package lists and upgrade Google Chrome to the latest stable release
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install google-chrome-stable -y
# Verify the installed version
google-chrome --version2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If immediate patching is not feasible, enforce Site Isolation and ensure the renderer sandbox is strictly enabled via Windows Registry using PowerShell:
# Enforce Site Isolation and prevent disabling the Chrome Sandbox via Registry
New-Item -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome' -Force | Out-Null
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome' -Name 'SitePerProcess' -Value 1 -PropertyType DWord -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome' -Name 'SandboxLegacyMode' -Value 0 -PropertyType DWord -Force3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Use the following Bash script to audit endpoints and identify running instances of vulnerable Chrome versions:
#!/bin/bash
# Script to audit running Google Chrome versions
echo '[*] Auditing Google Chrome version...'
chrome_bin=$(which google-chrome 2>/dev/null)
if [ -z '$chrome_bin' ]; then
echo '[-] Google Chrome is not installed in the standard PATH.'
exit 0
fi
current_ver=$($chrome_bin --version | awk '{print $3}')
required_ver='116.0.5845.179'
echo '[+] Detected Version: '$current_ver
# Compare versions
if [ '$(printf '%s\
%s' '$required_ver' '$current_ver' | sort -V | head -n1)' = '$required_ver' ]; then
echo '[+] Security Check Passed: Chrome is up to date.'
else
echo '[!] WARNING: Vulnerable Chrome version detected! Immediate upgrade required.'
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Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2023-4762) is a critical Type Confusion (CWE-843) vulnerability in the V8 JavaScript engine of Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers. It occurs when the V8 engine incorrectly resolves or fails to validate the type of an object during compilation or runtime execution. This mismatch allows the engine to access memory buffers using an incorrect object structure, leading to memory safety violations.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
A remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by hosting a specially crafted HTML page containing malicious JavaScript designed to trigger the type confusion logic within V8. When a user visits the malicious page, the script executes within the browser's renderer process. The attacker leverages the type confusion to achieve out-of-bounds read/write capabilities in memory, ultimately leading to arbitrary shellcode execution within the context of the renderer process.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
As this vulnerability is listed in the CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities) catalog, it has been actively exploited in the wild. If an attacker successfully compromises the renderer process, they can chain this exploit with a sandbox escape vulnerability to gain full control over the host operating system. This poses severe risks to enterprise environments, including lateral movement, sensitive data exfiltration, and ransomware deployment.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 116.0.5845.179 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High)
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2023-4762)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2023-4762 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2023-4762 is rated CVSS 8.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 41.4%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2023-4762?
Primary impacted vendors include google, microsoft, apple across chrome, edge, chromium. Scope summary: Google Chrome prior to 116.0.5845.179 (Windows, macOS, Linux) and other browsers utilizing the affected Chromium engine
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2023-4762 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately update your browser to the latest stable version (116.0.5845.179 or higher) Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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🔗 Related Advisories in Similar Stack (google)
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Google Chrome V8 Out-of-bounds Write Remote Code Execution Advisory (CVE-2026-87491)
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Google Chrome V8 Out-of-Bounds Read/Write Vulnerability (CVE-2026-11645) Advisory
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