Overview
CVE-2025-13230 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 142.0.7444.59. This vulnerability is a type confusion error within the V8 JavaScript engine. A remote attacker could exploit this flaw by crafting a malicious HTML page, potentially leading to heap corruption and arbitrary code execution.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from a type confusion error in the V8 JavaScript engine. Type confusion occurs when a program attempts to use a value of one type as if it were another type. In the context of V8, this can lead to memory corruption if the engine misinterprets the structure of an object. An attacker could exploit this by crafting a specific HTML page that triggers the type confusion, leading to out-of-bounds memory access and, ultimately, heap corruption. The Chromium security team has classified this as a “High” severity issue.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, the CVSS score and vector are not yet available (N/A). However, given the description and the “High” severity rating from Chromium, it is anticipated that the CVSS score will be high, likely in the range of 7.0-10.0, depending on the exploitability and impact details. We will update this section as soon as the CVSS score is officially published.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-13230 could have severe consequences:
- Heap Corruption: The primary impact is heap corruption, which can destabilize the browser and lead to crashes.
- Arbitrary Code Execution: An attacker could potentially leverage the heap corruption to execute arbitrary code on the victim’s machine. This would allow them to install malware, steal sensitive data, or take control of the system.
- Data Theft: An attacker could steal sensitive information stored within the browser, such as cookies, passwords, and browsing history.
- Denial of Service: The vulnerability could be used to crash the browser, leading to a denial-of-service condition.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation is to update Google Chrome to version 142.0.7444.59 or later. Google has already released a patch to address this vulnerability. Follow these steps to update your Chrome browser:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click on the three dots (menu) in the top right corner.
- Go to “Help” > “About Google Chrome.”
- Chrome will automatically check for updates and install them.
- Restart Chrome to apply the updates.
It is also recommended to enable automatic updates for Chrome to ensure you receive the latest security patches promptly.
