CVE-2011-0482 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 8.0.552.237 and Chrome OS before 8.0.552.344 do not properly perform a cast of an unspecified variable during handling of anchors, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted HTML document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0482 represents a critical memory management flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 8.0.552.237 and Chrome OS versions prior to 8.0.552.344. This issue manifests during the processing of anchor elements within HTML documents, where the browser fails to properly cast an unspecified variable during the rendering pipeline. The flaw falls under the category of improper type casting or conversion errors that can lead to unpredictable behavior in memory operations. The vulnerability specifically impacts the browser's handling of anchor tags, which are fundamental HTML elements used for creating hyperlinks and navigation within web pages. When Chrome encounters a crafted HTML document containing maliciously constructed anchor elements, the improper casting operation triggers memory corruption that can result in browser instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious HTML document containing specially formatted anchor elements that trigger the flawed casting operation. This improper casting typically involves converting data types without proper validation or bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can manifest as a denial of service condition. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the description suggest potential for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or information disclosure. The flaw demonstrates a classic buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability that occurs during HTML parsing and rendering, where the browser's JavaScript engine or rendering engine fails to properly validate data types during processing of anchor elements. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web browsers because it can be exploited through standard web content delivery without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to users of affected Chrome versions as it allows remote code execution through web-based attacks. The attack vector requires only that a user visits a malicious website containing the crafted HTML document, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation. The vulnerability's impact on Chrome's stability means that users may experience browser crashes, application hangs, or complete system instability. Security researchers have classified this as a medium to high severity vulnerability due to its remote exploitability and potential for privilege escalation. The flaw's presence in both desktop Chrome and Chrome OS versions indicates a systemic issue within the browser's rendering engine that affects multiple platforms. Organizations using affected Chrome versions face potential risks including data loss, service disruption, and possible system compromise if exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in denial of service conditions that prevent normal browser operation, or potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that leverage the memory corruption for privilege escalation or code execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0482 primarily focus on immediate software updates to versions that contain the necessary patches. Users should immediately upgrade to Chrome version 8.0.552.237 or later, and Chrome OS version 8.0.552.344 or later to address the vulnerability. Security administrators should implement automated update mechanisms to ensure all affected systems receive patches promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing web filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious HTML content, configuring browser security settings to restrict potentially dangerous content types, and monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns. Network administrators should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array indices, and potentially CWE-128, which addresses wrapping or truncation of integer values during casting operations. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1203, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in software applications to gain access to systems, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques to limit the impact of potential exploitation, as the vulnerability can potentially lead to privilege escalation or code execution within the browser context. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for this specific vulnerability to ensure complete remediation across all affected systems.