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CRITICAL CHROME 0-DAY: Google Warns Hackers Are Hijacking PCs Without A Single Click (Update NOW)

A Deep Technical Analysis of Chrome 0-Day Issue 466192044, CVE-2025-14372, and CVE-2025-14373

TL;DR

Google has issued an emergency Chrome security update after detecting active exploitation of a severe zero-click vulnerability. Identified as Issue 466192044, the flaw allows attackers to hijack victim systems simply by loading a malicious webpage—no clicks, downloads, or interaction required.

This zero-day is under coordination with security partners, and Google confirmed exploitation in the wild. Along with it, two additional Chrome vulnerabilities have been disclosed:

CVE-2025-14372 — Use-After-Free in Chrome Password Manager (Medium)
CVE-2025-14373 — Inappropriate Implementation in Toolbar Component (Medium)

These vulnerabilities, when chained, enable:

Remote Code Execution (RCE)
Credential theft
Session hijacking
User interface misdirection/spoofing

The primary vulnerability—Issue 466192044—targets Chrome’s V8 JavaScript Engine, enabling memory corruption and near-instant code execution.

All Chrome users must update immediately.

1. Executive Summary

Google has confirmed the existence of a dangerous Chrome zero-day—Issue 466192044—that allows attackers to compromise systems via malicious webpages without user interaction. Google’s advisory states that exploitation has already been observed in the wild, marking this as a high-risk global threat.

This vulnerability resides in Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine, which executes billions of lines of JavaScript every second across the internet. A flaw at this level gives attackers the ability to:

Run arbitrary code on the victim machine
Steal passwords and browser data
Deploy malware without downloads
Hijack authenticated sessions
Potentially escape the browser sandbox

When combined with the two additional Chrome vulnerabilities:

CVE-2025-14372 — Password Manager Use-After-Free
CVE-2025-14373 — Toolbar Logic Flaw

the threat becomes more severe, enabling full compromise of both accounts and devices.

This is one of the most critical Chrome exploitation events of 2025.

2. Understanding the Chrome Zero-Day Landscape

Over the past five years, Google Chrome has accounted for the majority of browser zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited by advanced threat groups. The primary reasons are:

The ubiquity of Chrome on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
The complexity of V8’s Just-In-Time (JIT) engine
Integration with sensitive components like Password Manager and Sync
Browser extensions significantly expanding the attack surface

Most Chrome zero-days fall into one of the following categories:

V8 Type Confusion
Out-of-Bounds Read/Write
Heap Buffer Overflow
Use-After-Free (UAF)
Sandbox Escape via IPC mismanagement

Issue 466192044 appears to involve a V8 zero-click memory corruption bug, making it particularly dangerous due to:

No interaction required
High exploit reliability
Compatibility across platforms
Ability to affect all Chrome-based browsers

These include:

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Opera
Brave
Vivaldi

Any Chromium-based browser is vulnerable until patched.

3. Vulnerability Overview

Issue / CVE	Severity	Component	Description
466192044	High	Undisclosed	Zero-Day exploited in the wild
CVE-2025-14372	Medium	Password Manager	Use-After-Free Vulnerability
CVE-2025-14373	Medium	Toolbar	Inappropriate Implementation

The first issue (466192044) is undoubtedly the most severe and forms the core of zero-click exploitation risk. The two CVEs elevate post-exploitation impact, making credential theft and UI spoofing viable once execution is achieved.

4. Deep Dive: Issue 466192044 — Zero-Click RCE in the Wild

Google has not disclosed the technical details of Issue 466192044 due to active exploitation, but based on historical patterns and threat intelligence signals, this aligns strongly with:

Type Confusion in V8
Memory corruption during JIT compilation
Optimized code paths incorrectly handling type coercion

These conditions allow attackers to fabricate objects, manipulate memory layout, and ultimately obtain arbitrary read/write primitives. From there, full code execution is achievable.

Why this is a zero-click exploit

Zero-click Chrome exploits are crafted entirely within JavaScript. Users only need to load a malicious webpage or embedded iframe. No downloads. No taps. No confirmations.

Chrome automatically interprets JavaScript, meaning:

Memory corruption occurs instantly
ROP chains execute before the user sees content
Payloads run within milliseconds

This is the purest form of zero-interaction exploitation.

Exploit success factors

High reliability due to deterministic JIT optimizations
Ability to bypass ASLR once read/write primitives are achieved
Potential to deploy malware without binaries
Execution limited only by Chrome’s sandbox—unless another bug is chained

Given that Google confirmed exploitation in the wild, the threat actor likely possesses:

A polished exploit chain
At least partial sandbox escape techniques
An efficient JavaScript trigger with minimal crashes

5. Technical Anatomy of a V8 Zero-Click Exploit

V8 is Chrome’s high-performance JavaScript engine. Its JIT compiler attempts to optimize code paths aggressively. When assumptions prove incorrect, and incorrect type inference occurs, unsafe memory operations become possible.

Typical V8 exploitation workflow

Identify a JIT optimization flaw.
Trigger type confusion (e.g., treating float as pointer).
Manipulate array bounds or backing stores.
Achieve out-of-bounds read/write.
Overwrite function pointers or JIT-compiled code.
Execute arbitrary shellcode within Chrome.

Example exploitation primitives

addrof() → obtain the address of arbitrary object
fakeobj() → treat a raw pointer as a JS object
Arbitrary Read/Write → needed for ROP/JOP chains

Once arbitrary memory access is achieved, attackers can:

Inject bytecode into JIT regions
Overwrite memory protections
Hijack Chrome’s execution flow

This is the basis for the zero-click hijacking described in Google’s emergency warning.

6. Exploit Chain Walkthrough

A complete zero-click Chrome exploit chain leveraging Issue 466192044 may look like the following:

Victim loads webpage (from phishing link, compromised site, malvertising).
JavaScript executes automatically as part of page load.
JIT optimization path is triggered using crafted JS sequences.
Type confusion leads to memory corruption inside V8.
Arbitrary read/write primitives are achieved.
Attacker injects shellcode or ROP chain into executable JIT regions.
Chrome process is hijacked and executes attacker code.
Payload deploys malware / keylogger / credential stealer.

If chained with CVE-2025-14372 or CVE-2025-14373, attackers can escalate:

Steal stored passwords
Hijack saved sessions
Mislead user with spoofed UI elements

7. Attack Diagrams

               Victim Opens Malicious Webpage
                           |
                           v
           +----------------------------------+
           | Chrome Automatically Executes JS |
           +----------------------------------+
                           |
                           | JIT Optimization Triggered
                           v
           +----------------------------------+
           |   Type Confusion in V8 Engine    |
           |   (Memory Corruption Begins)     |
           +----------------------------------+
                           |
                           | Arbitrary Read/Write Achieved
                           v
           +----------------------------------+
           |  Attacker Injects ROP / Shellcode|
           +----------------------------------+
                           |
                           | Execution Hijacked
                           v
           +----------------------------------+
           | Full Remote Code Execution (RCE) |
           +----------------------------------+

8. Real-World Exploitation Scenarios

8.1 Watering Hole Attack

Attackers compromise a website frequently visited by employees of a corporation. Every visitor unknowingly triggers the RCE exploit.

8.2 Malvertising Campaign

A malicious advertisement on a legitimate site contains embedded JavaScript that executes instantly on load.

8.3 Supply Chain Attack

Third-party JavaScript libraries (analytics, chat widgets, tracking pixels) are hijacked to deliver exploit code.

8.4 Targeted APT Operations

A nation-state group sends highly curated URLs to diplomats, journalists, or executives. Zero-click RCE ensures stealth.

9. Global Enterprise & Consumer Impact

A Chrome zero-click exploit impacts every industry due to Chrome’s dominance:

Financial institutions
Healthcare and insurance
Government and defense
Technology and SaaS
Telecommunications
Education
Manufacturing and supply chain

The exploit can be used for:

Credential harvesting
Session hijacking
Ransomware deployment
Data exfiltration
Corporate espionage

Chrome is used to access:

Cloud dashboards
Bank accounts
Email services
Corporate intranets
Internal admin consoles

A Chrome zero-day is effectively a gateway to the entire digital ecosystem.

10. High-Risk Environments Affected

Unpatched Chrome browsers
Devices without sandbox hardening
Enterprises relying heavily on SaaS portals
Teams that load third-party resources via CDN
Developers visiting unknown code repos

11. Early Detection Opportunities

Despite being a zero-click exploit, several subtle indicators may reveal compromise:

Unexpected Chrome crashes (GPU or V8 crash signatures)
Unhandled memory exceptions in browser logs
Unusual JavaScript heap behavior
Large inline scripts with obscure JIT patterns
Suspicious Chrome child processes

However, most victims observe no symptoms at all.

12. Recommended Security Tools

13. Deep Dive: CVE-2025-14372 — Password Manager Use-After-Free

CVE-2025-14372 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Chrome’s Password Manager. Though not an RCE bug by itself, it becomes extremely dangerous when chained with a zero-click exploit like Issue 466192044.

This vulnerability is classified as a Use-After-Free (UAF) condition—one of the most commonly exploited classes of memory corruption bugs.

Technical Explanation

UAF occurs when Chrome’s Password Manager frees an object but continues using a stale pointer referencing the memory. An attacker can fill the freed memory with controlled data, influencing:

Credential autofill behavior
Password field injection
Token exfiltration processes
Fake login forms rendered by JavaScript

Attack Consequences

The attacker can read or modify stored passwords.
Session tokens can be stolen during autofill operations.
Password Manager UI can be manipulated to reveal sensitive data.
Credential syncing via Google Sync can be hijacked.

When paired with Issue 466192044 (full RCE), this vulnerability enables complete credential extraction.

14. Deep Dive: CVE-2025-14373 — Toolbar Inappropriate Implementation

CVE-2025-14373 is a medium-severity logic flaw in Chrome’s toolbar components, affecting the UI layer responsible for:

Download prompts
Security indicators
Extension UI integration
Permission dialogs

How Attackers Exploit This Flaw

By abusing Chrome’s rendering of toolbar components, attackers can:

Display fake security indicators
Spoof “File is safe” notifications
Hide or suppress security warnings
Render invisible phishing prompts

The flaw significantly increases social engineering success rates—especially when combined with the zero-click RCE exploit.

15. Combined Chrome Exploit Chain (Full Attack Lifecycle)

When Issue 466192044 is chained with CVE-2025-14372 and CVE-2025-14373, attackers gain:

Initial access via zero-click RCE
Credential theft via Password Manager UAF
Persistence and deception via Toolbar manipulation

Below is a realistic full-chain attack:

User visits compromised website.
Zero-click exploit (466192044) triggers immediately.
Attacker gains RCE inside Chrome renderer process.
Password Manager UAF is used to extract credentials (CVE-2025-14372).
Toolbar flaw (CVE-2025-14373) hides Chrome’s security warnings.
Attackers deploy stealthy malware using browser context.
Tokens, cookies, banking sessions are exfiltrated.

This chain provides complete browser and OS compromise.

16. MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

Phase	Technique	ID
Initial Access	Drive-by Compromise	T1189
Execution	Exploitation of Client-Side Software (Chrome)	T1203
Credential Access	Password Stores	T1555
Defense Evasion	Indicator Removal / UI Spoofing	T1036
Exfiltration	Exfiltration Over Command & Control	T1041

17. STRIDE Threat Model

S — Spoofing: Toolbar flaw enables UI deception.
T — Tampering: V8 RCE allows memory modification.
R — Repudiation: Attack leaves minimal logs.
I — Information Disclosure: Password Manager leak exposes credentials.
D — Denial of Service: Browser crash loops possible.
E — Elevation of Privilege: RCE + credential theft → OS-level compromise.

18. Sigma Rules for Detection

18.1 Detect Chrome spawning suspicious child processes

title: Chrome RCE Child Process Spawn
id: cdb-chrome-rce-child-2025-1
status: experimental
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: process_creation
detection:
  parent:
    ParentImage: '*chrome.exe'
  child:
    Image|contains:
      - 'powershell.exe'
      - 'cmd.exe'
      - 'wscript.exe'
  condition: parent and child
fields:
  - Image
  - ParentImage
level: critical

18.2 Detect suspicious memory allocation patterns from Chrome

title: Chrome V8 Exploit Memory Behavior
id: cdb-chrome-v8-exploit-2025-2
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: sysmon
detection:
  selection:
    SourceImage: '*chrome.exe'
    CallTrace|contains: 'v8::internal'
  condition: selection
level: high

19. YARA Rules

19.1 YARA rule for malicious JavaScript V8 exploitation patterns

rule CDB_Chrome_V8_Exploit
{
    meta:
        description = "Detect malicious JS patterns used in V8 exploitation"
        author = "CyberDudeBivash"
        year = "2025"

    strings:
        $a = "addrof("
        $b = "fakeobj("
        $c = "ArrayBuffer"
        $d = "DataView"
        $e = /function .*opt/ 

    condition:
        ($a or $b) and $c and $d and $e
}

20. Suricata Detection Signatures

alert http any any -> any any (
    msg:"CDB Chrome exploit delivery";
    content:"

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