CVE-2011-2799 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 13.0.782.107 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to HTML range handling.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2025
The CVE-2011-2799 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 13.0.782.107 that fundamentally compromises the browser's memory management integrity. This vulnerability specifically targets the HTML range handling mechanisms within the browser's rendering engine, creating a scenario where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated. The flaw occurs when the browser processes certain HTML range objects that are manipulated through JavaScript or DOM operations, leading to a situation where memory that should have been released remains accessible to malicious code. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause unpredictable behavior in the affected application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious HTML content that triggers the specific code path where HTML range objects are manipulated inappropriately. When Chrome processes these malformed ranges, it fails to properly manage the memory lifecycle of the associated objects, resulting in a use-after-free condition. This condition allows attackers to manipulate memory contents or redirect execution flow, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service since the use-after-free condition can be leveraged for code execution, making it a severe threat vector in the context of browser-based attacks. The flaw aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free vulnerabilities in software systems.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users of older Chrome versions as it can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring any local privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver payloads through compromised websites, phishing campaigns, or malicious advertisements, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter untrusted web content. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that the flaw could potentially enable privilege escalation or information disclosure, though the exact scope of these additional impacts remains documented in various security reports and incident analyses. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping browser software updated, as the attack surface is significantly reduced once users apply the security patches released by Google.
Organizations and individuals should immediately implement mitigation strategies including prompt patch deployment for Chrome versions prior to 13.0.782.107, along with network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious HTML content. Browser security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that unnecessary JavaScript and DOM manipulation features are disabled where possible. Additionally, security monitoring should include detection of unusual memory allocation patterns and potential exploitation attempts targeting similar use-after-free vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies including sandboxing mechanisms and privilege separation, which can limit the potential impact even if exploitation occurs. Organizations should consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure rapid deployment of security updates across all browser installations.