Ethical Hacking News
A new era of exploitation has begun, with Google's Chrome browser being targeted by a high-severity zero-day vulnerability that was used in Russian espionage attacks. The attackers were able to bypass the browser's sandbox protection, allowing them to launch sophisticated targeted attacks on organizations in Russia. To prevent potential exploitation, users are advised to apply out-of-band fixes released by Google for Chrome version 134.0.6998.177/.178.
Google has released out-of-band fixes to address a high-severity security flaw in Chrome browser for Windows. The vulnerability, CVE-2025-2783, allows attackers to bypass sandbox protection and launch targeted attacks on organizations in Russia. The attack vectors used were phishing emails that contained personalized links to malware-infected websites. Kaspersky researchers have attributed the attacks to a state-sponsored APT group with high sophistication. Users of Chrome need to apply the patches as soon as possible to prevent potential exploitation by attackers.
Google has released out-of-band fixes to address a high-severity security flaw in its Chrome browser for Windows, which was discovered by Kaspersky researchers Boris Larin and Igor Kuznetsov. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-2783, has been described as a case of "incorrect handle provided in unspecified circumstances in Mojo on Windows." The patch for the vulnerability is now available for Chrome version 134.0.6998.177/.178.
The discovery of this zero-day vulnerability comes at a time when cyber attacks are increasingly sophisticated and targeted. According to Kaspersky, the attackers behind the exploits were able to take advantage of the vulnerability to launch high-severity attacks on organizations in Russia. The attack vectors used by the attackers were phishing emails that were personalized to the targets, with espionage being the end goal of the campaign.
The malicious emails contained invitations purportedly from the organizers of a legitimate scientific and expert forum, Primakov Readings. However, upon clicking on these links, the victims were immediately infected with malware. No further action was required to become infected.
The vulnerability in question is located at the intersection of Chrome and the Windows operating system, allowing attackers to bypass the browser's sandbox protection. This exploitation has been characterized as a technically sophisticated targeted attack, indicative of an advanced persistent threat (APT).
In all cases, infection occurred immediately after the victim clicked on a link in a phishing email, and the attackers' website was opened using the Google Chrome web browser. No further action was required to become infected.
The essence of the vulnerability comes down to an error in logic at the intersection of Chrome and the Windows operating system that allows bypassing the browser's sandbox protection. This is a classic case of a zero-day exploit, where an attacker can take advantage of a previously unknown vulnerability in software to launch a successful attack.
Kaspersky researchers have attributed the attacks to a state-sponsored APT group. The attackers used short-lived links that were personalized to the targets, with espionage being the end goal of the campaign. Furthermore, CVE-2025-2783 is designed to be run in conjunction with an additional exploit that facilitates remote code execution.
The Russian cybersecurity vendor stated that all the attack artifacts analyzed so far indicate high sophistication of the attackers, allowing them to confidently conclude that a state-sponsored APT group is behind this attack.
The discovery of this zero-day vulnerability and its connection to Russian espionage attacks highlights the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest security patches. In today's digital landscape, where cyber threats are increasingly sophisticated and targeted, it is crucial for organizations to prioritize their cybersecurity posture.
Google has acknowledged that an exploit for CVE-2025-2783 exists in the wild and has released out-of-band fixes to address this vulnerability. It is essential for users of Chrome to apply these patches as soon as possible to prevent potential exploitation by attackers.
In conclusion, the discovery of this zero-day vulnerability and its connection to Russian espionage attacks serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat landscape in the digital world. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is crucial for individuals and organizations to stay vigilant and prioritize their cybersecurity posture.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-New-Era-of-Exploitation-Googles-Chrome-Zero-Day-Vulnerability-and-its-Connection-to-Russian-Espionage-Attacks-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/zero-day-alert-google-releases-chrome.html
Published: Wed Mar 26 00:21:39 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
