CVE-2011-2604 in G41 driver
Summary
by MITRE
The Intel G41 driver 6.14.10.5355 on Windows XP SP3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) via a crafted web page that is visited with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, as demonstrated by the lots-of-polys-example.html test page in the Khronos WebGL SDK.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2604 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Intel G41 graphics driver version 6.14.10.5355 running on Windows XP SP3 systems. This security weakness specifically targets the graphics processing unit driver component that handles WebGL rendering operations, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered through web-based interactions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the graphics driver's handling of WebGL content, particularly when processing complex polygonal data structures. The attack vector involves remote exploitation through web browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed without requiring local system access or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage.
The technical flaw manifests in the driver's insufficient handling of malformed or excessively complex WebGL polygon data structures that are processed during graphics rendering operations. When a specially crafted web page containing WebGL code with numerous polygons is loaded in a supported browser, the graphics driver fails to properly validate the incoming data before attempting to render it. This leads to memory corruption or buffer overflow conditions within the driver's graphics processing routines, ultimately causing the operating system to crash and resulting in a complete system freeze or reboot. The vulnerability specifically affects the Khronos WebGL SDK test page called lots-of-polys-example.html, which demonstrates how excessive polygon counts can overwhelm the driver's memory management capabilities. This flaw represents a classic case of improper input validation where the driver does not adequately check the size or complexity of graphical data before processing it, creating a condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, as it can be leveraged to create persistent denial of service conditions that significantly impact productivity and system availability. Organizations relying on Windows XP SP3 systems with Intel G41 graphics drivers face substantial risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where web browsing is common or where users may inadvertently visit malicious websites. The attack requires no specialized knowledge beyond creating a web page with specific WebGL code patterns, making it accessible to threat actors with minimal technical expertise. The vulnerability affects systems that are already considered legacy and potentially unsupported, but the widespread use of older Windows XP installations in enterprise environments means that many organizations remain exposed to this risk. The system crash behavior can be particularly disruptive in mission-critical environments where uptime is essential, and the automatic reboot or system freeze can result in data loss or interruption of business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2604 should focus on immediate driver updates and system hardening measures. The most effective solution involves updating to the latest Intel graphics drivers that contain patches addressing the memory handling vulnerabilities in the G41 driver series. Organizations should also implement browser security measures such as disabling WebGL support or implementing strict content filtering policies to prevent access to potentially malicious web content. Network-level protections including web proxies and content filtering systems can help prevent users from accessing vulnerable web pages. System administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as disabling unnecessary graphics features and ensuring that all systems are properly patched and updated. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input length or size, and represents a specific instance of CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1059.001, which covers command and scripting interpreter techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as well as establishing incident response procedures for handling system crashes and restarts that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.