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Google Chrome critical RCE flaws before 133.0.6943.98

elevated vulnerability

Free public brief. The indicators, the detections with Splunk SPL already written (plus Elastic and KQL where they apply), and a Slack alert the next time this touches a vendor you run are in the app — free account, no card.

Multiple use-after-free and memory access vulnerabilities in Chrome allow arbitrary code execution; patch to version 133.0.6943.98 immediately.

Google has released Chrome 133.0.6943.98 (and .99 for Windows/Mac) to address multiple vulnerabilities, the most critical being use-after-free flaws in the V8 JavaScript engine and Navigation components, plus an out-of-bounds memory access in V8. These allow arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged-on user, with impact depending on account privileges. An additional lower-severity UI implementation flaw was also patched. The advisory indicates no current in-the-wild exploitation, but the severity and ease of triggering via drive-by compromise make immediate patching essential across all affected platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux).

Mentioned in this report

Vulnerabilities CVE-2025-0995CVE-2025-0996CVE-2025-0997CVE-2025-0998

Detection guidance

Chrome Browser Spawning Scripting or LOLBin Child Process

ATT&CK T1189

Chrome spawning cmd, PowerShell, script hosts or common LOLBins, a post-exploitation pattern after a browser RCE or sandbox escape via drive-by. Auto-generated starting point — validate and tune in your environment before deploying. IOC matches can false-positive on shared infrastructure and decay as adversary infrastructure rotates.

title: Chrome Browser Spawning Scripting or LOLBin Child Process
id: 32e75ca7-52fc-5b86-9182-f89b76a55d94
status: experimental
description: Detects chrome.exe spawning a command interpreter, script host or common
  living-off-the-land binary. After a renderer exploit (V8 or Navigation use-after-free
  or out-of-bounds access) and sandbox escape, code running as the user commonly launches
  such processes. Generalises on the parent/child relation, not on any specific exploit.
references:
- https://www.cisecurity.org/advisory/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-google-chrome-could-allow-for-arbitrary-code-execution_2025-018
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1189
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: \chrome.exe
    Image|endswith:
    - \cmd.exe
    - \powershell.exe
    - \pwsh.exe
    - \wscript.exe
    - \cscript.exe
    - \mshta.exe
    - \rundll32.exe
    - \regsvr32.exe
    - \certutil.exe
    - \bitsadmin.exe
    - \msiexec.exe
  filter_native_messaging:
    CommandLine|contains: chrome-extension://
  condition: selection and not filter_native_messaging
falsepositives:
- Enterprise extensions or native messaging hosts that launch cmd.exe or PowerShell
  helper scripts
- Browser-based remote support or SSO tooling that invokes helper scripts via Chrome
level: medium
author: Vorant

Chrome Spawning Shell With Download or Network Utility on Linux

ATT&CK T1189

Chrome spawning a shell that runs download or network tools, suggesting code execution after browser exploitation. Auto-generated starting point — validate and tune in your environment before deploying. IOC matches can false-positive on shared infrastructure and decay as adversary infrastructure rotates.

title: Chrome Spawning Shell With Download or Network Utility on Linux
id: 941f2c63-c69c-5f21-b8f3-e9651bcf9b94
status: experimental
description: Detects Chrome or Chromium spawning sh/bash with a command line that
  fetches or executes remote content or opens a reverse shell. This is unusual for
  normal browsing and consistent with post-exploitation after a drive-by browser RCE.
references:
- https://www.cisecurity.org/advisory/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-google-chrome-could-allow-for-arbitrary-code-execution_2025-018
tags:
- attack.initial-access
- attack.t1189
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: linux
detection:
  selection_parent:
    ParentImage|endswith:
    - /chrome
    - /chromium
    - /google-chrome
  selection_shell:
    Image|endswith:
    - /sh
    - /bash
    - /dash
  selection_cmd:
    CommandLine|contains:
    - curl
    - wget
    - nc
    - /dev/tcp/
    - python -c
    - python3 -c
    - base64 -d
  condition: selection_parent and selection_shell and selection_cmd
falsepositives:
- Developer tooling or browser wrapper scripts that call curl or wget through a shell
level: medium
author: Vorant

Behavioural rules are generated from public reporting — validate in your environment before deploying.

Source reporting: https://www.cisecurity.org/advisory/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-google-chrome-could-allow-for-arbitrary-code-execution_2025-018

What this brief leaves out

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