CVE-2011-0782 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 9.0.597.84 on Mac OS X does not properly mitigate an unspecified flaw in the Mac OS X 10.5 SSL libraries, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0782 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 9.0.597.84 on macOS platforms. This issue stems from insufficient mitigation of a weakness within the macOS 10.5 SSL libraries, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against affected systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts the secure communication stack that Chrome relies upon for establishing encrypted connections with web servers and other network services.
The technical nature of this flaw involves improper handling of SSL/TLS cryptographic operations within the macOS 10.5 operating system libraries that Chrome utilizes for secure network communications. When Chrome attempts to establish secure connections through these vulnerable libraries, the underlying SSL implementation contains a weakness that can be triggered remotely. This allows malicious actors to craft specific network requests or manipulate SSL handshake processes in ways that cause the Chrome application to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The unspecified nature of the exact flaw within the macOS SSL libraries suggests a complex interaction between the operating system's cryptographic subsystem and Chrome's network stack that was not adequately addressed in the affected versions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users of affected Chrome versions on macOS systems. The denial of service attack can be executed without requiring any special privileges or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by visiting malicious websites or connecting to compromised servers. The impact extends beyond individual user experience to potentially disrupt business operations where Chrome is the primary browser for accessing critical web applications. Organizations relying on Chrome for enterprise web browsing may face productivity losses and increased support overhead as users encounter unexpected application crashes during routine web activities.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 Improper Access to Memory and CWE-20 Improper Input Validation patterns, as it involves memory access issues within the SSL library and improper handling of cryptographic inputs during secure connection establishment. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 Network Denial of Service and T1595.001 Network Denial of Service, representing techniques that leverage system weaknesses to disrupt service availability. The attack surface is particularly broad as it affects any user visiting compromised websites or connecting to malicious servers, making it a preferred vector for attackers seeking to disrupt Chrome users without requiring complex exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0782 primarily focus on immediate software updates to Chrome version 9.0.597.84 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the SSL library weakness. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected macOS systems, particularly in enterprise environments where Chrome is widely used. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, and maintaining updated firewall rules to restrict access to known malicious domains. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls or proxy solutions that can filter out potentially malicious SSL handshake sequences before they reach the Chrome browser. The patch addresses the root cause by implementing proper SSL library error handling and ensuring that Chrome properly validates and sanitizes all inputs received through the cryptographic subsystem, thereby preventing the application crash conditions that occurred in vulnerable versions.