Mystery Chrome 0-day exploit to be unveiled in India on Saturday
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A Georgian security researcher is due to present details of an unpatched vulnerability in Google's Chrome browser at the Malcon security conference in India over the weekend.
Years ago the circumstances of Ucha Gobejishvili's presentation would hardly have raised an eyebrow but that was before Google began offering up to $60,000 in bug bounties for the low-down on most serious, remotely exploitable bugs in its Chrome web browser software.
Gobejishvili has apparently forgone potential financial rewards by leaving Google in the dark before unwrapping a remotely exploitable hole in the Chrome web browser, which reportedly involves a critical vulnerability in a Chrome DLL. More details are due to emerge at a presentation by Gobejishvili at the International Malware Conference (MalCon) in New Delhi on Saturday (24 November).
Conference notes say that the presentation, entitled Project Calypso, Art of Infection, will cover browser exploitation methodologies and focus on the aforementioned Chrome zero-day vulnerability.
Ucha Gobejishvili, 19, is described as system administrator at a small firm who is active as a penetration tester and vulnerability researcher. Files on Packet Storm suggest that Gobejishvili has carried out research on a Firefox 13.0 remote denial of service exploit and he has also been linked with the discovery of a cross-site scripting flaw on Skype's webstore earlier this year.
Gobejishvili told Security Ledger that he had no plans to release proof of concept code for the Chrome exploit on Windows systems he claims to have discovered. He says he's holding off on publishing details because the issue is dangerous, though paradoxically he doesn't seem to be working with Google in helping to develop a fix. He doesn't appear to be working with exploit brokers either. Gobejishvili's general reticence is shrouded in some mystery.
Google is aware of Gobejishvili's claims, although it apparently hasn't been in touch with him directly. Pending more details, Google (much like any other interested party) is only able to monitor the situation and await further developments. We're awaiting word from the internet giant's Indian arm and will update this story as and when we hear more.
Malcon promises to be an interesting conference all round, with teenage security research prodigies playing a central role in more ways than one. Gobejishvili will share the stage with Shantanu Gawde, 16, who is due to present a demo of the first Windows Mobile 8 malware. ®
COMMENTS
Yawn
"Does this mean it's Windoze only?"
No. But it may mean that it's Windows only.
There's only one thing more tiresome than Windows and that's 'Windoze' (or your preferred tedious variant of choice).
A little background ...
If it's the same Ucha Gobejishvili that discovered these beauties, then Google probably haven't stopped laughing since his speech was announced:
https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/list?can=1&q=reporter%3Alongrifle0x
He's been trolling Google with these all year. Exploits discovered include making the status bar say something that isn't the URL of the link you're hovering over, by using the Javascript API that lets you do that.
Instant Flash Mobs for Crash and Burn Situations ...... Dire Straits
He says he's holding off on publishing details because the issue is dangerous, though paradoxically he doesn't seem to be working with Google in helping to develop a fix. He doesn't appear to be working with exploit brokers either. Gobejishvili's general reticence is shrouded in some mystery.
Some bugs are dangerous and cannot be fixed. Then do things move on to the organisation of exploitation. One then can fully understand and commend reticence for shrouding mysterious discoveries.
Such times in CyberSpace are as a loded pause to consider one's general position and specific direction of wished travel.
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