CVE-2010-1825 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit, as used in Google Chrome before 6.0.472.59, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to nested SVG elements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1825 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebKit rendering engine that powers Google Chrome browser versions prior to 6.0.472.59. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory that has already been freed, creating potential exploitation vectors for malicious actors. The specific weakness manifests within the handling of nested Scalable Vector Graphics elements, which are XML-based vector image formats commonly used in web applications. The flaw exists in how WebKit processes these nested SVG structures, particularly when dealing with complex hierarchical arrangements that trigger memory management issues during rendering operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory deallocation mechanisms within the WebKit engine's SVG processing pipeline. When the browser encounters nested SVG elements, the rendering engine allocates memory for various graphical components and their associated metadata structures. However, under certain conditions involving deeply nested or complex SVG hierarchies, the engine fails to properly manage memory references, leading to situations where objects are freed from memory while still being referenced elsewhere in the rendering process. This memory management failure creates a use-after-free condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to manipulate memory contents or trigger abnormal program behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable more severe exploitation outcomes. Remote attackers can craft malicious web pages containing specially constructed nested SVG elements that, when rendered by vulnerable Chrome versions, trigger the use-after-free condition. While the primary reported impact includes denial of service through browser crashes, the nature of use-after-free vulnerabilities typically opens possibilities for more sophisticated attacks including arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability affects not only the targeted browser but also creates potential risks for users who may encounter such malicious content while browsing the web, particularly in environments where web content is not properly sanitized or filtered.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1825 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Google to address the underlying memory management issues within WebKit. Users should promptly upgrade to Chrome version 6.0.472.59 or later, which includes fixes specifically targeting the SVG processing memory handling flaws. Organizations implementing security controls should consider deploying web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to detect and block potentially malicious SVG content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1203 for "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1499 for "Endpoint Denial of Service." Additional defensive measures include implementing strict browser security policies, enabling sandboxing features, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications to prevent exploitation of similar rendering engine vulnerabilities.