CVE-2010-4202 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple integer overflows in Google Chrome before 7.0.517.44 on Linux allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted font.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4202 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome browser versions prior to 7.0.517.44 on Linux systems. This issue stems from multiple integer overflow conditions that occur during font processing within the browser's rendering engine. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of crafted font files, which when loaded by the browser can trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying memory management systems. Integer overflows in software applications typically occur when a calculation produces a result that exceeds the maximum value that can be stored in the allocated memory space, leading to unpredictable system states and potential exploitation opportunities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the browser's font parsing mechanisms where integer variables used to manage font metrics and dimensions can overflow when processing specially crafted font files. These overflows can occur in various font formats including TrueType and OpenType files, where the malicious input causes calculations to wrap around to extremely large or negative values. When such overflows occur, they can corrupt memory structures, disrupt the normal execution flow, and potentially allow attackers to manipulate the browser's memory layout. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service since the integer overflow conditions may provide opportunities for more sophisticated attacks that could lead to arbitrary code execution or other unspecified security implications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Linux users of affected Chrome versions, as it can be exploited remotely through web content without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The attack vector leverages the browser's automatic font rendering capabilities, making it particularly dangerous as users may unknowingly encounter malicious fonts during normal browsing activities. The vulnerability's exploitation potential increases when considering that many web applications and websites rely heavily on custom font rendering, creating numerous potential attack surfaces. Security researchers have classified this as a high-severity issue due to its potential for both denial of service and more serious security implications that could compromise user systems.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2010-4202 requires immediate deployment of Chrome version 7.0.517.44 or later, which includes patches addressing the integer overflow conditions in font processing. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional mitigations include implementing web content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious font files, configuring browser security settings to restrict font loading from untrusted sources, and monitoring for unusual browser behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying patterns associated with font-based attacks and establishing incident response procedures specifically addressing browser-based integer overflow vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow conditions, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under the ATT&CK framework as a code injection technique that leverages memory corruption vulnerabilities.