CVE-2011-2637 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Opera before 11.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via unknown content on a web page, as demonstrated by futura-sciences.com, seoptimise.com, and mitosyfraudes.org.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2637 represents a critical security flaw in Opera web browsers prior to version 11.10, specifically categorized as a remote denial of service vulnerability. This weakness stems from Opera's insufficient input validation mechanisms when processing web page content, allowing malicious actors to craft specially designed web pages that can trigger application instability and subsequent crashes. The vulnerability manifests when the browser encounters malformed or unexpected content during page rendering, leading to unpredictable application behavior that ultimately results in complete application termination.
Technical analysis reveals that this vulnerability operates through a buffer overflow or memory corruption mechanism within Opera's rendering engine, specifically affecting how the browser handles certain HTML elements or JavaScript constructs. The attack vector requires remote execution since malicious content can be delivered through compromised websites or malicious advertisements without requiring user interaction beyond visiting the affected pages. The targeted versions of Opera are particularly susceptible due to inadequate bounds checking and memory management practices in their web content processing modules, which fail to properly sanitize incoming data streams from web servers.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-2637 extends beyond simple application crashes, as it represents a significant threat to user productivity and system availability within organizations that rely on Opera browsers. When exploited, the vulnerability can be used in conjunction with other attack vectors to create persistent denial of service conditions, potentially disrupting business operations and user access to web-based services. The fact that this vulnerability was demonstrated against legitimate websites like futura-sciences.com and seoptimise.com indicates that it can be exploited through normal browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently encounter compromised content.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software applications, and potentially CWE-129, concerning improper validation of array indices. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category, specifically targeting application availability through denial of service mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including mandatory browser updates to Opera 11.10 or later versions, deployment of web content filtering solutions, and network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious web traffic patterns associated with known exploit signatures.
Mitigation efforts must prioritize rapid deployment of security patches provided by Opera's security team, as the vulnerability represents a clear window of opportunity for attackers to compromise user systems. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious content before it reaches user browsers, while security monitoring systems should be configured to alert on unusual application crash patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious websites and maintaining up-to-date browser software to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities like CVE-2011-2637.