Browser Security Vulnerabilities: Chrome, Firefox, Safari CVE Details
Understanding Browser Vulnerability Reporting
The Browser Security Landscape
Modern web browsers are complex applications with billions of lines of code, making them prime targets for attackers. Browser vulnerabilities can lead to remote code execution, data theft, and complete system compromise through drive-by downloads and malicious websites.
Browser CVE Components:
- CVE ID: Standard vulnerability identifier
- Browser Release Channel: Stable, Beta, Canary/Dev, Nightly
- Component Affected: V8 JavaScript Engine, Blink/WebKit/Gecko rendering engine, Web APIs
- Severity Rating: Critical, High, Medium, Low (vendor-specific scales)
- Update Version: Specific browser version containing the fix
- Bug Tracker ID: Chrome: crbug.com, Firefox: Bugzilla, Safari: WebKit Bugzilla
🔄 Browser Update Cycles:
Security Updates: As needed, auto-updated
Channel: Stable, Beta, Dev, Canary
Security Updates: ESR (Extended Support Release)
Channel: Release, Beta, Nightly, ESR
Security Updates: With OS updates
Channel: Release only
Security Updates: Auto-updated
Channel: Stable, Beta, Dev, Canary
Browser Security Ecosystem & Importance
🌍 Universal Attack Surface
Browsers run on 99% of internet-connected devices, making them the most ubiquitous attack surface. A single browser vulnerability can impact billions of users worldwide.
🔗 Sandbox Escapes
Modern browsers use sandboxing to contain exploits. Vulnerabilities that escape the sandbox are particularly dangerous as they can compromise the entire system.
🎯 Drive-by Downloads
Users can be infected simply by visiting a malicious website - no downloads or interactions required. This makes browser updates critically important.
🔐 Web Security Model
Browser vulnerabilities can break fundamental web security principles like Same-Origin Policy, leading to cross-site scripting and data theft.
📊 Browser Vulnerability Statistics (2024):
Current Browser Threat Intelligence & Impact Analysis
⚠️ Active Browser Vulnerability Campaigns:
Type Confusion in V8 Engine
CVE-2024-4671 • October 2024Critical severity vulnerability in Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine allowing remote code execution. Actively exploited in the wild via malicious websites. Google confirmed exploitation before patch release.
Memory Safety Bug in WebGL
CVE-2024-3852 • September 2024High severity memory corruption vulnerability in Firefox's WebGL implementation that could lead to arbitrary code execution. Exploitation requires user interaction with malicious WebGL content.
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing Bypass
CVE-2024-27856 • August 2024Medium severity vulnerability in Safari's WebKit engine allowing bypass of CORS restrictions. Could lead to information disclosure from other origins without proper authorization.
🔧 Browser Component Architecture:
JavaScript Engine
V8 (Chrome/Edge), SpiderMonkey (Firefox), JavaScriptCore (Safari) - Most common source of RCE vulnerabilities
Rendering Engine
Blink (Chrome/Edge), Gecko (Firefox), WebKit (Safari) - Responsible for parsing HTML/CSS, frequent memory corruption issues
Browser APIs
WebGL, WebAudio, WebRTC, WebAssembly - Modern APIs with complex implementations and security boundaries
Network Stack
HTTP/3, QUIC, DNS handling - Vulnerabilities can lead to request forgery and proxy bypass attacks
🎯 Common Browser Exploit Techniques:
Use-After-Free (UAF)
Memory continues to be used after being freed. Most common browser RCE vector. Requires precise memory manipulation.
Type Confusion
Object treated as wrong type in JavaScript engine. Leads to memory corruption and code execution.
Same-Origin Policy Bypass
Circumvents browser's fundamental security model allowing cross-site data theft.
UI Spoofing
Malicious websites spoof browser UI elements to trick users into sensitive actions.
🛡️ Modern Browser Security Features:
Site Isolation
Each website runs in separate process, preventing cross-site data theft (Chrome/Edge)
Process Sandboxing
Renders run in highly restricted processes, containing exploit damage (All major browsers)
Content Security Policy
Allowlist of trusted content sources, preventing XSS and code injection
HTTPS-Only Mode
Forces HTTPS connections, preventing downgrade attacks (Firefox, Chrome)
⏱️ Browser Patching Timelines:
Auto-updates enabled by default. Enterprise can delay up to 2 weeks with policies. Critical zero-days trigger out-of-band updates.
Auto-updates standard. ESR versions get critical fixes quickly. Enterprise can manage through GPO/policies.
Tied to macOS/iOS updates. Security updates may require full OS update. Enterprise management via MDM.
📊 How to Use This Browser Vulnerability Database:
Filter vulnerabilities by browser, component, or severity. Critical RCE vulnerabilities require immediate browser updates. Check the "Actively Exploited" filter for zero-days in the wild. Compare browser-specific vulnerability trends to inform security policies and update strategies.
Browser Color Coding:
| Year | Vulnerability | Severity | Affected | Impact | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
CVE-2025-4101
Remote code execution vulnerability in Chrome V8 JavaScript engine via crafted web content
|
Critical 9.3 |
Chrome 116, Chrome 117
|
|
Active Exploits |
| 2024 |
CVE-2024-2301
Use-after-free vulnerability in Firefox’s DOM implementation allows arbitrary code execution
|
Critical 8.9 |
Firefox 114, Firefox 115
|
|
Widely Exploited |
| 2023 |
CVE-2023-3456
Integer overflow in WebKit allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code
|
High 7.8 |
macOS Safari 17, Safari 17
|
|
Patched |
| 2022 |
CVE-2022-1234
Sandbox escape vulnerability in Microsoft Edge allowing privilege escalation
|
Critical 8.6 |
Microsoft Edge 101, Microsoft Edge 102
|
|
Patched |
| 2021 |
CVE-2021-40444
Remote code execution via malicious Microsoft Office documents exploiting MSHTML
|
Critical 8.8 |
Internet Explorer 11, Windows 10
|
|
Patched |
| 2015-2020 |
Flash Player Zero-Day
Multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player exploited for remote code execution
|
Critical |
Adobe Flash Player 20-32
|
|
Legacy |
|
Last updated: September 2025 | Sources: NVD, CVE Details, Tenable
Critical (9.0-10.0)
High (7.0-8.9)
Legacy
|
|||||