CVE-2011-1203 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 10.0.648.127 does not properly handle SVG cursors, 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 • 01/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1203 represents a critical memory safety issue within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 10.0.648.127. This flaw specifically manifests in the browser's handling of Scalable Vector Graphics cursors, which are used to define custom mouse pointers in web applications. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management when processing SVG cursor elements, creating a condition where stale pointers can persist in memory after the original cursor data has been deallocated or modified.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues, specifically related to dangling pointer references and improper memory deallocation. When Chrome processes SVG cursors, it fails to properly validate or update pointer references to cursor data structures, leading to situations where memory locations may be accessed after they have been freed or reallocated. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited to trigger arbitrary code execution or cause unpredictable behavior in the browser's rendering engine. The issue is categorized under CWE-466, which addresses the use of a pointer after it has been freed, and represents a classic example of a use-after-free vulnerability that can be leveraged for remote code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can potentially allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. When a stale pointer is dereferenced, the browser may attempt to access memory that has been corrupted or reallocated, leading to crashes, data corruption, or in more severe cases, complete system compromise. Attackers could craft malicious web pages containing specially crafted SVG cursor elements that, when rendered by the vulnerable browser, would trigger the memory corruption condition. This vulnerability affects the browser's core rendering functionality and could be exploited in various attack scenarios including drive-by downloads, phishing attacks, and targeted exploitation of users browsing compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 10.0.648.127 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and maintain current security patches across all systems. Additional protective measures include enabling browser security features such as sandboxing and content security policies, as well as deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious SVG content. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities and remote code execution, with potential lateral movement opportunities if successful exploitation occurs. System administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious web traffic patterns and ensure proper browser hardening configurations are in place to minimize the attack surface and reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation attempts.