CVE-2010-3021 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Opera before 10.61 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and application hang) via an animated PNG image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3021 represents a significant security flaw in the Opera web browser ecosystem that existed prior to version 10.61. This issue falls under the category of denial of service vulnerabilities where malicious actors could exploit specific image handling mechanisms to consume excessive system resources. The vulnerability specifically targets the browser's processing of animated png images, which are commonly used for web graphics and multimedia content. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign web content can be weaponized to disrupt normal browser operations and potentially impact user productivity and system stability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and resource management within Opera's image processing pipeline. When the browser encounters an animated png file, the parsing and rendering mechanisms fail to properly handle the image's resource requirements, leading to excessive cpu consumption and application hanging behavior. This represents a classic case of insufficient bounds checking and resource allocation controls that allow malicious input to trigger uncontrolled resource usage patterns. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the browser's image rendering subsystem to create sustained resource exhaustion conditions that prevent normal browser functionality.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users who may inadvertently encounter maliciously crafted animated png images on compromised websites or through phishing attacks. The denial of service impact can manifest as complete browser freezes, requiring manual intervention to terminate the affected processes. This vulnerability particularly affects user experience and productivity, as it can render the browser completely unusable until the affected process is manually terminated or the system is rebooted. The attack vector requires remote exploitation through web content delivery, making it accessible to attackers without requiring physical access to the target system.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses the weakness of uncontrolled resource consumption, and demonstrates how improper resource management can lead to system instability. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the technique of privilege escalation through resource exhaustion, where attackers can leverage the browser's resource handling to create persistent disruptions. The impact extends beyond simple inconvenience to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks where the browser hang could be used as a cover for other malicious activities or to create conditions where users might be more susceptible to social engineering attacks due to the disrupted browsing environment.
Organizations and users should prioritize immediate patching to address this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remains open in unpatched systems. The fix implemented in Opera version 10.61 likely included enhanced image parsing routines with proper resource limits and bounds checking mechanisms. Additional mitigations should include browser security configurations that limit image processing capabilities and regular security updates to prevent similar issues from emerging in other browser components. Network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering measures to block suspicious image content, particularly in environments where users may be exposed to untrusted web sources.