CVE-2010-3119 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 5.0.375.127 and webkitgtk before 1.2.6 do not properly support the Ruby language, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3119 represents a critical flaw in web browser rendering engines that affects Google Chrome versions prior to 5.0.375.127 and webkitgtk versions before 1.2.6. This issue stems from inadequate handling of the Ruby text layout language within the browser's web content rendering capabilities. The Ruby language feature, commonly used in East Asian typography to provide pronunciation guides for characters, creates a complex rendering scenario that exposes memory corruption vulnerabilities when improperly processed by the browser engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the browser's text rendering subsystem where the Ruby language support mechanism fails to properly validate or handle memory allocations during text layout operations. When processing web content containing Ruby annotations, the affected browsers exhibit memory corruption behaviors that can lead to arbitrary code execution or complete application crashes. This flaw operates at the intersection of text rendering engines and memory management systems, creating a pathway for attackers to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities through carefully crafted web content.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3119 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable remote code execution attacks. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by hosting malicious web content that triggers the Ruby language processing path, causing the browser to allocate or access memory in unintended ways. The memory corruption can manifest as heap corruption, stack overflow conditions, or other memory management errors that may be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and CWE-122, stack-based buffer overflow, while also aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate browser updates to patched versions that properly handle Ruby language text rendering. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all affected browser installations are updated promptly. Additionally, network administrators can deploy web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block potentially malicious web content that might trigger this vulnerability. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched browser versions to ensure compatibility with existing web applications while maintaining security posture. Security monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual memory allocation patterns or browser crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper text rendering engine validation and memory management in modern web browsers, as it represents a fundamental flaw in how browsers process complex typography features that could be leveraged for broader attack vectors.