CVE-2019-13720: Google Chrome WebAudio Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2019-13720 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the WebAudio component of Google Chrome. A remote attacker can trigger it with a crafted HTML page and potentially corrupt heap memory. For IT and security teams this matters because browsers are ubiquitous endpoints; successful exploitation can lead to code execution in the browser process and further compromise of the user session or host. Confirm all version and fix details against the vendor advisory.

How it works

The weakness is CWE-416, use-after-free. In this class of flaw, memory is freed while a pointer to it remains live; later use of that dangling pointer can corrupt the heap. According to the CISA summary, Google Chrome WebAudio contains such a vulnerability that allows a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. An attacker would typically lure a user to open or render the malicious page inside a vulnerable Chrome instance. Exact exploit mechanics, heap layout details, and any required user interaction beyond loading the page are not provided in the available facts and must be confirmed against the vendor advisory. No ransomware use is documented for this CVE.

Am I affected? How to find it in your systems

Google Chrome is commonly installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux workstations, VDI images, and some managed kiosks. WebAudio is a standard browser feature used for audio processing in web content, so the vulnerable code path is present in normal Chrome installations that include that component.

• Inventory Chrome installations via software asset management, endpoint management agents, or package inventories; record the exact browser version string.
• Compare installed versions against the fixed releases listed in the vendor advisory; do not rely on version numbers stated elsewhere.
• Check whether users can reach untrusted web content; any system that renders arbitrary HTML/JavaScript is in scope.
• Review browser crash reports, hang dumps, or endpoint detection telemetry for unexpected Chrome crashes or heap-related faults around the time of suspicious page loads. Public detail on specific log signatures is limited, so treat anomalous Chrome process behavior as a hunting lead rather than definitive proof.

How to remediate

Patch first. Apply the Chrome updates per vendor instructions, as required by CISA. Deploy the update through your normal browser update channel, enterprise management console, or OS package mechanism, then verify the installed version matches the remediated build listed by the vendor.

• Prioritize internet-facing and high-risk user populations (executives, finance, remote workers).
• After patching, restart browser processes so the new binary is loaded.
• For this vulnerability class, enforce automatic browser updates, remove lingering old Chrome installations, and restrict the ability of standard users to run outdated portable copies.
• Harden generally by enabling site isolation and other browser security features recommended by the vendor, and keep the OS and related runtime libraries current.

If you can't patch immediately

Reduce exposure until the vendor update can be applied.

• Segment high-risk endpoints and limit their ability to reach untrusted web content via proxy or DNS controls.
• Use a web gateway or browser isolation solution to render untrusted pages away from the local Chrome process.
• If policy allows, temporarily disable or restrict WebAudio where the business impact is acceptable; confirm the exact configuration method in vendor documentation.
• Apply virtual patching or WAF rules that block known malicious page patterns only if your security vendor supplies signatures tied to this issue; otherwise rely on generic exploit-kit and drive-by detections.
• Increase monitoring for Chrome crashes, unusual child processes, and outbound connections immediately after page loads, and alert on anomalies.

If your data may have been exposed

Actively exploited browser vulnerabilities can lead to session theft, credential harvesting, or host compromise and subsequent data exposure. If you suspect exploitation, isolate affected endpoints, preserve memory and disk evidence, rotate credentials that may have been accessible from the browser, and follow your incident-response plan. You can run a free exposure scan of your email addresses against known breach data to check whether associated accounts appear in prior breaches while you complete containment and recovery.