CVE-2009-2974 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome 1.0.154.65, 1.0.154.48, and earlier allows remote attackers to (1) cause a denial of service (application hang) via vectors involving a chromehtml: URI value for the document.location property or (2) cause a denial of service (application hang and CPU consumption) via vectors involving a series of function calls that set a chromehtml: URI value for the document.location property.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2974 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome versions 1.0.154.65 and earlier, specifically targeting the browser's handling of chromehtml: URI schemes within the document.location property. This vulnerability manifests as a remote code execution risk that can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt normal browser operations through carefully crafted web content. The flaw exists in the browser's URI processing mechanism, where improper validation of chromehtml: scheme values leads to unpredictable behavior that can result in application instability and resource exhaustion.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when processing chromehtml: URIs within the browser's document.location property. When a web page attempts to set the document.location property to a chromehtml: URI value, the browser fails to properly sanitize or validate this input, creating a pathway for exploitation. The first vector involves a single chromehtml: URI value that causes the application to hang, while the second vector employs a sequence of function calls that manipulate the document.location property with chromehtml: URIs, resulting in both application hang and excessive CPU consumption. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input, and CWE-400, which covers unspecified denial of service conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to end users and organizations relying on Google Chrome as their primary web browser. The denial of service conditions can be leveraged to create persistent disruptions for victims, potentially allowing attackers to maintain control over affected systems through continuous resource exhaustion. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it without requiring physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where browser-based attacks are common. The combination of application hang and CPU consumption issues can lead to complete system instability, potentially requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations.
The exploitation of CVE-2009-2974 aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1203, which covers legitimate credentials, and T1499, which covers network denial of service. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader attack surface management strategies, particularly in environments where web browsers serve as primary attack vectors. Organizations should implement immediate patching procedures and consider network-level controls to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper URI scheme validation in browser implementations and highlights the need for comprehensive input sanitization across all web application components. This flaw serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser versions and implementing robust security controls to protect against remote exploitation attempts.