CVE-2011-1125 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 9.0.597.107 does not properly perform layout, 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 • 01/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1125 represents a critical memory management flaw within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 9.0.597.107. This issue stems from improper layout handling mechanisms that create conditions for memory corruption during web page rendering processes. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the browser encounters certain web content that triggers malformed layout operations, leading to unstable memory states within the browser's rendering engine.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the browser's failure to properly manage memory pointers during layout calculations. When Chrome processes web content that contains malformed or maliciously crafted elements, the layout engine fails to properly invalidate or update memory references, resulting in what is termed a "stale pointer" condition. This occurs when the browser attempts to access memory locations that have already been freed or reallocated, creating unpredictable behavior in the application's memory management system. The CWE-476 standard categorizes this as a NULL pointer dereference, though the specific manifestation in this case involves stale pointer conditions that can lead to memory corruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious web pages that, when loaded in vulnerable Chrome versions, trigger the layout handling code path. The stale pointer condition can cause the browser to crash or behave unpredictably, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the browser's memory space. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or execute code.
The exploitation of CVE-2011-1125 demonstrates how seemingly minor memory management issues can create significant security risks in complex software applications. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or drive-by download scenarios. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by Chrome's widespread usage, as exploitation could potentially affect millions of users simultaneously. Security researchers have noted that such memory corruption vulnerabilities often serve as stepping stones for more sophisticated attacks, as they can be combined with other exploitation techniques to achieve persistent access or privilege escalation within affected systems. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of this vulnerability and implement additional network-based protections such as web application firewalls to mitigate potential exploitation attempts.