CVE-2011-1450 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 11.0.696.57 does not properly present file dialogs, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors that lead to "dangling pointers."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1450 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome browser versions prior to 11.0.696.57, specifically related to the improper handling of file dialog interfaces. This issue stems from inadequate memory management within the browser's graphical user interface components, creating conditions where dangling pointers can occur during file selection operations. The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of memory corruption flaws that can be exploited to disrupt normal browser operations or potentially execute arbitrary code.
The core technical flaw involves the browser's file dialog implementation failing to properly manage memory references when file selection operations are performed. When a user interacts with file dialogs, the browser allocates memory for dialog elements and maintains pointers to these resources. In vulnerable versions, these memory references become invalid while still being referenced by the application, creating dangling pointer conditions that can lead to unpredictable behavior. This memory management failure allows attackers to manipulate the browser's memory state through carefully crafted web content that triggers file dialog interactions, potentially causing the application to crash or behave erratically.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the dangling pointer conditions could potentially be exploited to achieve more severe consequences. Attackers can leverage this flaw by hosting malicious web content that forces the browser to display file dialogs in ways that trigger the memory corruption. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that under certain conditions, this flaw might enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or code execution within the browser context. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, though the specific implementation in Chrome creates dangling pointer scenarios that are particularly dangerous in web browser environments.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in browser security, particularly in user-facing interface components that handle user interactions. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that file dialog interactions are common browser operations that occur during normal web browsing activities. From an operational security perspective, this flaw represents a significant risk to users who may inadvertently encounter malicious websites that exploit this condition through file upload forms, download prompts, or other web elements that trigger file dialog displays. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning given Chrome's widespread adoption and the potential for attackers to craft convincing phishing scenarios that leverage these file dialog interactions.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome installations to address this vulnerability, as the risk of exploitation remains high given the browser's prevalence in enterprise and consumer environments. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive browser update policies and regular security assessments to ensure all systems remain protected against similar memory corruption vulnerabilities. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious file dialog interactions and consider deploying browser security extensions or enterprise security solutions that can detect and block malicious content attempting to exploit this class of vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059 for execution through browser-based attacks, highlighting the need for layered security approaches that protect against both the initial exploitation and potential post-exploitation activities that might follow such memory corruption incidents.