CVE-2011-2336 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
An issue exists in WebKit in Google Chrome before Blink M12. when clearing lists in AnimationControllerPrivate that signal when a hardware animation starts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-2336 represents a critical memory corruption issue within the WebKit rendering engine that powered Google Chrome before the Blink rendering engine transition. This flaw specifically manifests in the AnimationControllerPrivate component which manages hardware animation states and list clearing operations. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory structures during the process of clearing animation lists, creating a potential pathway for arbitrary code execution through memory corruption attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper management of hardware animation state signaling mechanisms within Chrome's rendering pipeline. When the AnimationControllerPrivate component attempts to clear lists that signal hardware animation start events, the memory management routines fail to properly validate or sanitize the data structures involved in these operations. This creates a condition where memory corruption can occur during list clearing operations, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute malicious code. The flaw operates at a low level within the browser's graphics rendering subsystem, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through web content without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it provides attackers with a potential code execution vector that could be leveraged for full system compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a specific sequence of operations involving hardware animation state management, but once triggered, it can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though the actual implementation involves heap corruption through improper list management. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that WebKit is used across multiple platforms and browsers, making this a widespread potential threat.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2336 should focus on immediate browser updates and implementation of memory safety mechanisms. Organizations should prioritize updating to Chrome versions that include the Blink rendering engine, which addressed this specific vulnerability through improved memory management and validation routines. The fix implemented in Blink involved strengthening the list clearing operations in AnimationControllerPrivate to prevent memory corruption during hardware animation state signaling. Additional defensive measures include implementing address space layout randomization, stack canaries, and other exploit mitigation techniques that would make successful exploitation more difficult even if the underlying vulnerability were to persist. Security teams should also monitor for related vulnerabilities in the WebKit codebase that might present similar memory management issues, as this type of flaw often indicates broader architectural weaknesses in graphics rendering components that could lead to additional attack vectors.