CVE-2011-1059 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in WebCore in WebKit before r77705, as used in Google Chrome before 11.0.672.2 and other products, allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors that entice a user to resubmit a form, related to improper handling of provisional items by the HistoryController component, aka rdar problem 8938557.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2021
The CVE-2011-1059 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebCore component of WebKit engine, specifically affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 11.0.672.2. This vulnerability resides in the HistoryController component's improper handling of provisional items, creating a scenario where memory that has been freed is subsequently accessed by the application. The flaw manifests when users encounter specific web pages that trigger a form resubmission sequence, making this a user-assisted remote attack vector that requires minimal user interaction to exploit. The vulnerability was identified through the rdar problem 8938557 tracking system, indicating its discovery within Apple's development environment before being recognized in the broader browser ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the browser's history management system where provisional items are created during navigation processes but not properly cleaned up or validated before memory deallocation. When a user resubmits a form on a page that triggers this specific condition, the HistoryController component fails to correctly manage the lifecycle of these provisional items, leading to a situation where freed memory addresses are accessed by subsequent operations. This use-after-free condition creates a memory corruption scenario that can result in application crashes due to invalid memory access or potentially more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution depending on the memory layout and exploitation conditions. The vulnerability specifically affects the WebKit rendering engine's internal state management mechanisms, particularly those related to browser history navigation and form handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1059 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could compromise system integrity. While the primary reported impact is application crash leading to denial of service, the underlying use-after-free condition creates opportunities for attackers to craft payloads that could manipulate memory contents or execute arbitrary code within the browser context. This vulnerability affects not only Google Chrome but also other products utilizing the WebKit engine, making it a widespread concern across multiple browser implementations. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that victims need only visit a malicious webpage and potentially resubmit a form to be vulnerable, significantly increasing the attack surface and exploitability in real-world scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1059 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches to the affected WebKit components, with Google releasing Chrome version 11.0.672.2 and subsequent releases addressing the issue. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected browser installations and implementing security policies that prevent access to untrusted web content until patches are deployed. Browser vendors and security teams should consider implementing additional memory safety checks and validation mechanisms within the HistoryController component to prevent improper handling of provisional items. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software development, and represents a classic example of memory safety issues that fall under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual browser crash patterns and memory access violations that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of browser components and implementation of automated patch management systems are essential to prevent exploitation of similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in the WebKit engine and related browser technologies.