CVE-2010-2109 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Google Chrome before 5.0.375.55 allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory error) or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to the "drag + drop" functionality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2109 represents a critical security flaw within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 5.0.375.55, specifically impacting the browser's drag and drop functionality. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerability types that can be exploited by remote attackers with user assistance, creating potential pathways for significant system compromise. The vulnerability manifests through memory errors that can lead to denial of service conditions, while also potentially enabling more severe impacts that remain unspecified in the initial disclosure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of drag and drop operations within the browser's rendering engine, which processes user interactions with web content. When users engage with malicious web pages containing crafted drag and drop elements, the browser's memory management system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input parameters. This memory error condition can result in heap corruption or memory exhaustion scenarios that ultimately lead to browser crashes or system instability. The vulnerability's classification as user-assisted indicates that successful exploitation requires some form of user interaction, typically involving the execution of malicious web content through a drag and drop interface.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for end users and organizations relying on Chrome as their primary browser. The denial of service aspect can render browsers unusable, disrupting productivity and potentially providing attackers with opportunities for more sophisticated attacks. The unspecified other impacts suggest potential for privilege escalation or information disclosure, which would significantly amplify the threat level. Organizations using older Chrome versions face increased risk of targeted attacks where adversaries craft malicious web pages specifically designed to exploit this drag and drop memory handling flaw.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common in memory corruption vulnerabilities. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, though the specific mapping would depend on the attack vector employed. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently interact with malicious content through seemingly benign drag and drop operations on web applications.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment to Chrome versions 5.0.375.55 and later, which contain the necessary memory management fixes for drag and drop functionality. Organizations should implement browser hardening measures including content security policies and sandboxing configurations to limit the potential impact of exploitation. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and block malicious drag and drop content patterns. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding untrusted web content and maintaining current browser versions to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of Chrome browser versions to ensure compliance with security baselines and prevent exploitation of this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.