CVE-2023-5217

CVE-2023-5217 is a high-severity zero-day vulnerability identified within the VP8 encoding of the open-source libvpx video codec library utilized by Google Chrome. The flaw, a heap buffer overflow, was capable of causing application crashes or allowing arbitrary code execution, thereby making it a significant security risk. Reports have indicated that this vulnerability was exploited in the wild, with instances of a commercial vendor leveraging the flaw to deliver the Predator spyware tool on affected Android devices. The vulnerability first came into the limelight in September when Google disclosed the existence of the bug in one of Chrome's software libraries. This disclosure drew attention to the potential risks associated with the flaw, particularly as it was linked to multiple spying exploits. The exploitation of CVE-2023-5217 marked the third instance of a zero-day vulnerability tied to such activities within that month alone. However, recent updates from NSFOCUS CERT, a global network and cybersecurity leader, confirm that Google has officially fixed the CVE-2023-5217 exploit. This fix mitigates the risk posed by the heap buffer overflow in the VP8 encoding of the libvpx video codec library. Despite this remediation, organizations are advised to remain vigilant given the past exploitation of this vulnerability in the wild.