CVE-2025-13633: Critical Use-After-Free Vulnerability Patched in Chrome Digital Credentials

Overview

CVE-2025-13633 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 143.0.7499.41. This vulnerability is classified as a use-after-free issue within the Digital Credentials component. A remote attacker, having already compromised the renderer process, could potentially exploit heap corruption through a specially crafted HTML page. Google Chrome has addressed this vulnerability in version 143.0.7499.41.

Technical Details

The vulnerability stems from a use-after-free error in the Digital Credentials functionality of Google Chrome. Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program attempts to access memory that has already been freed. In this case, a compromised renderer process can trigger the vulnerability by manipulating a crafted HTML page. This allows the attacker to potentially corrupt the heap, leading to arbitrary code execution or a denial-of-service condition.

CVSS Analysis

The CVSS score and severity are currently N/A as of this analysis; however, Chromium has classified this as a ‘High’ security severity. A more detailed CVSS score and vector string will likely be available in the future as further analysis is conducted. Given the potential for heap corruption and remote exploitation, it is prudent to treat this as a critical vulnerability.

Possible Impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-13633 could allow a remote attacker to:

• Execute arbitrary code within the context of the compromised renderer process.
• Gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
• Cause a denial-of-service condition.
• Potentially escalate privileges, depending on the specific exploitation scenario.

Mitigation and Patch Steps

The primary mitigation is to update Google Chrome to version 143.0.7499.41 or later. Chrome typically updates automatically, but it is recommended to manually check for updates to ensure the latest version is installed.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click on the three dots (menu icon) in the top-right corner.
3. Go to Help > About Google Chrome.
4. Chrome will automatically check for updates and install them.
5. Restart Chrome to apply the updates.

References

Chrome Releases – Stable Channel Update for Desktop
Chromium Bug Tracker – Issue 458082926