CVE-2011-2359 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 13.0.782.107 does not properly track line boxes during rendering, 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."
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2359 represents a critical rendering engine flaw within Google Chrome versions prior to 13.0.782.107. This issue stems from improper handling of line box tracking during the browser's rendering process, creating a scenario where memory management becomes compromised. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can be exploited remotely, making it particularly dangerous in web browsing environments where users encounter untrusted content from various sources. The flaw specifically affects Chrome's layout engine which is responsible for determining how web page elements are positioned and displayed on screen.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Chrome's rendering engine fails to properly update or invalidate line box references during dynamic content manipulation. Line boxes represent the rectangular areas that contain lines of text within a block-level element, and their improper tracking leads to situations where pointers to these memory regions become stale or invalid. This stale pointer condition arises when the browser continues to reference memory locations that have already been freed or reallocated, creating a scenario where subsequent memory access operations can either crash the browser or potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is classified as a memory safety issue that aligns with CWE-468, which deals with improper pointer management and pointer arithmetic errors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious web pages that trigger specific rendering scenarios, causing Chrome to access freed memory locations through stale pointers. This can result in browser crashes, application instability, and in some cases, arbitrary code execution within the browser's sandboxed environment. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor rendering engine bugs can create significant security risks, particularly when they involve memory management and pointer handling. Attackers may exploit this issue to deliver malware payloads or escalate privileges within the browser's security boundaries, making it a critical concern for web security professionals.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2359 primarily focus on updating to patched versions of Google Chrome where the rendering engine has been corrected to properly manage line box references and prevent stale pointer conditions. System administrators should implement immediate patch management protocols to ensure all affected Chrome installations are updated to version 13.0.782.107 or later. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious content patterns, enabling sandboxing features within the browser, and utilizing content security policies to limit the execution of potentially harmful scripts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving memory corruption and privilege escalation, specifically targeting the browser's rendering engine as a vector for exploitation. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for anomalous browser behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly those involving memory access violations or unexpected crashes during rendering operations.