CVE-2011-2630 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 11.11 allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted web page that is not properly handled during a reload occurring after the opening of a popup of the Easy Sticky Note extension.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2630 represents a denial of service flaw affecting Opera web browsers prior to version 11.11. This issue specifically manifests when a user encounters a maliciously crafted web page that triggers improper handling of browser state during a reload operation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only user interaction to be exploited, making it a user-assisted remote attack vector that can compromise browser stability and availability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of browser state management when dealing with popup windows generated by the Easy Sticky Note browser extension. When Opera processes a web page containing malicious content and subsequently reloads the page after a popup window has been opened, the browser fails to properly manage the memory and state associated with these popup windows. This improper state handling creates a condition where the browser becomes unstable and eventually crashes, resulting in a complete denial of service for the affected user.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly impacts user experience and browser reliability. Users who encounter such malicious web pages will experience unexpected browser crashes, forcing them to manually restart their browser and potentially lose unsaved work or data. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill from attackers, as it only necessitates the user to visit a specially crafted web page, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or malicious advertising scenarios. The impact extends beyond individual user inconvenience to potentially disrupting productivity in enterprise environments where browser stability is critical.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and relates to improper handling of dynamic memory allocation and state management in web browser environments. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1211 category for exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities. The issue demonstrates how browser extensions can create attack surfaces that, when combined with improper browser handling, can lead to complete application compromise. Organizations should prioritize updating to Opera 11.11 or later versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as the patch addresses the underlying state management issues in popup window handling. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping browser software updated to protect against such user-assisted remote attack vectors.