CVE-2010-1232 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 4.1.249.1036 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory error) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a malformed SVG document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1232 represents a critical memory management flaw in Google Chrome browsers prior to version 4.1.249.1036. This issue specifically affects the rendering engine's handling of Scalable Vector Graphics documents, which are commonly used for displaying vector graphics on web pages. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling when processing malformed SVG content, creating a potential attack vector for remote adversaries who can craft malicious documents to exploit the browser's rendering capabilities.
The technical flaw manifests in the browser's SVG parser implementation where improper memory allocation and deallocation occurs when encountering malformed vector graphics elements. This memory error condition can lead to heap corruption or memory exhaustion scenarios that cause the browser to crash or behave unpredictably. The vulnerability's classification as potentially enabling unspecified other impacts suggests that beyond simple denial of service, attackers might be able to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges through memory corruption techniques. The issue is particularly concerning because SVG documents can be embedded directly within HTML pages or served as standalone files, making exploitation accessible through various web delivery methods.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Chrome browsers for web-based operations. The denial of service aspect can disrupt user productivity and potentially enable persistent attacks where users are repeatedly exposed to malicious SVG content through compromised websites or phishing campaigns. The unspecified other impacts raise concerns about potential privilege escalation or code execution capabilities that could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to user systems. This vulnerability affects the browser's core rendering functionality and represents a fundamental security flaw in the memory management subsystem that handles vector graphics processing.
Security mitigations for CVE-2010-1232 primarily involve immediate browser updates to versions 4.1.249.1036 or later where Google has implemented proper input validation and memory handling for SVG processing. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block suspicious SVG content, particularly when users are not required to view vector graphics. Network administrators should monitor for exploitation attempts through security information and event management systems and consider implementing browser security policies that restrict SVG processing or disable it entirely when not required. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in memory management flaws. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving execution through web browsers and memory corruption, potentially enabling lateral movement and persistence within compromised environments.