CVE-2011-1185 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 10.0.648.127 does not prevent (1) navigation and (2) close operations on the top location of a sandboxed frame, which has unspecified impact and remote attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1185 represents a critical sandbox escape flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 10.0.648.127. This issue stems from insufficient restrictions within Chrome's sandboxing mechanism, specifically affecting how the browser handles navigation and close operations on the top location of sandboxed frames. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of browser security architecture and privilege separation, where the sandbox is designed to isolate potentially malicious content from the underlying system. When exploited, this flaw allows attackers to bypass the sandbox protection that should normally prevent untrusted content from interacting with the browser's core processes or performing actions on the top-level frame context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of frame navigation and closure operations within Chrome's rendering engine. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized navigation to malicious domains or trigger close operations that should be restricted within sandboxed environments. This particular flaw falls under the category of sandbox escape techniques and can be classified as a privilege escalation vulnerability according to CWE-264. The unspecified impact mentioned in the description suggests that the vulnerability could potentially enable a wide range of malicious activities including but not limited to information disclosure, arbitrary code execution, or further privilege escalation within the browser environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1185 extends beyond simple sandbox bypassing as it creates opportunities for remote code execution and persistent attacks against unsuspecting users. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges within the browser context, potentially allowing them to access user data, perform actions on behalf of the user, or even compromise the entire system if the sandbox escape leads to additional privilege escalation paths. The remote attack vectors indicate that this vulnerability can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring any local interaction from the victim, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or drive-by download scenarios. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for browser-based command execution and represents a significant threat to user privacy and system integrity.
The remediation for CVE-2011-1185 requires immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 10.0.648.127 or later, which includes implementation of stricter controls over frame navigation and close operations within sandboxed contexts. Browser vendors should ensure that all sandboxed frame operations are properly validated and restricted to prevent unauthorized interactions with the top-level browsing context. Additionally, organizations should implement security measures such as web application firewalls, content filtering systems, and regular browser updates to protect against exploitation of this vulnerability. The fix typically involves enhancing the sandboxing policies to explicitly prevent navigation and close operations that could potentially escape the restricted frame environment, thereby maintaining the integrity of the browser's security model and preventing unauthorized access to system resources.