CVE-2011-0472 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 8.0.552.237 and Chrome OS before 8.0.552.344 do not properly handle the printing of PDF documents, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a multi-page document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0472 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's PDF rendering and printing functionality that affected versions prior to 8.0.552.237 and Chrome OS versions before 8.0.552.344. This issue stems from improper handling of multi-page PDF documents during the printing process, creating a potential vector for both denial of service attacks and unspecified security impacts. The vulnerability specifically manifests when Chrome attempts to process complex PDF documents containing multiple pages, exposing a fundamental weakness in the application's document processing pipeline.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in Chrome's insufficient validation and memory management during PDF printing operations. When processing multi-page documents, the browser fails to properly manage memory allocation and resource handling, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios. This flaw operates under the CWE-129 weakness category, which encompasses improper validation of array indices and memory boundaries during processing of structured data. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of a memory safety issue that can be exploited through user-assisted remote attack vectors, where an attacker can craft malicious PDF content that triggers the problematic code path when printed.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-0472 extends beyond simple application crashes, potentially enabling more severe consequences depending on the execution environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause persistent denial of service conditions that disrupt user productivity and system availability. In some scenarios, the unspecified additional impacts could include privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution, though the primary documented effect remains application instability. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, as it exploits a client-side application flaw to achieve unauthorized system behavior. The multi-page PDF document handling specifically targets the browser's rendering engine, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where PDF documents are frequently shared and printed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patch deployment for all affected Chrome versions, as the flaw exists in the core browser functionality rather than in third-party components. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying automated patch management systems to ensure rapid remediation across all endpoints. Additionally, administrators can implement PDF content filtering and sandboxing measures to reduce the attack surface, though these should complement rather than replace official patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in web browser applications, particularly those handling complex document formats. Security teams should monitor for similar issues in other PDF processing components and ensure that all browser-based document handling functionality undergoes thorough security testing before deployment.