CVE-2011-1119 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 9.0.597.107 does not properly determine device orientation, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors that lead to a "stale pointer."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1119 affects Google Chrome versions prior to 9.0.597.107 and stems from improper handling of device orientation detection mechanisms within the browser's rendering engine. This flaw resides in the browser's implementation of device orientation APIs that are designed to provide web applications with information about the physical orientation of the device. The issue manifests when the browser fails to properly validate or update device orientation state information, creating conditions where stale pointer references can persist in memory. Such stale pointers occur when the browser continues to reference memory locations that have been freed or reallocated, leading to unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves remote attackers who can craft malicious web content or manipulate existing web pages to trigger the improper device orientation handling. When a user visits a compromised website or interacts with malicious content, the browser's orientation detection system may attempt to access memory locations that no longer contain valid data. This stale pointer condition can result in memory corruption that manifests as denial of service through browser crashes or application instability. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service as the stale pointer conditions can potentially be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause other unspecified security implications, though the exact attack vectors remain unspecified in the original CVE description.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which addresses null pointer dereference conditions in software implementations. The flaw represents a classic memory safety issue where proper pointer validation and memory lifecycle management are not adequately enforced within the browser's device orientation handling code. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that web browsers serve as primary attack vectors for remote exploitation, and device orientation APIs are increasingly utilized by modern web applications for responsive design and user experience enhancement. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in browser engines, especially when handling user-facing APIs that interact with hardware sensors and device capabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1119 extends to users who may inadvertently encounter malicious websites while browsing, as the vulnerability does not require any special privileges or user interaction beyond normal web browsing activities. Organizations relying on Chrome as their primary browser for web-based applications face significant risk, as the vulnerability could be exploited to disrupt user productivity through browser crashes or potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Security teams must consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling and incident response planning, particularly when dealing with targeted attacks against specific user groups or organizations. The vulnerability also highlights the broader challenge of securing complex browser environments where multiple hardware and software interfaces must be properly coordinated to prevent memory corruption issues.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to the recommended secure release. Users should ensure their Chrome browser is updated to version 9.0.597.107 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for proper device orientation handling and stale pointer resolution. Organizations implementing browser security policies should consider enforcing automatic updates or using managed browser deployment solutions to ensure rapid remediation. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious device orientation API usage patterns, as well as monitoring for unusual browser crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security awareness training for users about avoiding untrusted websites and suspicious web content remains crucial, particularly for environments where browser-based attacks are common. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of regular security updates and proper memory management practices in browser development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.003 for browser exploitation and T1489 for denial of service through application instability.