CVE-2011-2860 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 14.0.835.163 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to table styles.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2860 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome browser versions prior to 14.0.835.163. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory that has already been freed, creating a potential exploitation vector for malicious actors. The specific context of this flaw involves table style handling within the browser's rendering engine, where improper memory management during the processing of table elements leads to unpredictable behavior. The vulnerability manifests when Chrome encounters certain table style configurations that trigger the release of memory resources while still maintaining references to them, creating a scenario where subsequent memory operations can result in system instability or arbitrary code execution. This particular use-after-free condition falls under the CWE-416 category, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory, a fundamental memory safety issue that has been a persistent concern in software development. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it could potentially enable remote code execution or other unspecified security consequences depending on how attackers manipulate the memory corruption conditions. The table style processing component in Chrome's layout engine appears to be particularly susceptible to this memory management issue when handling complex or malformed table structures, making it a significant concern for web application security. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious web pages that contain specific table style attributes designed to trigger the memory corruption during page rendering. The attack surface is particularly broad since table styling is a common feature in web content, and the vulnerability could be leveraged through various attack vectors including phishing sites, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites. This flaw demonstrates the complexity of modern browser security where seemingly benign HTML table elements can become entry points for sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts indicates that beyond the immediate denial of service or system instability, there may be additional security implications that could allow for privilege escalation or information disclosure. Organizations and users should recognize that this vulnerability represents a fundamental memory safety issue that requires immediate remediation through browser updates. The exploitation of such vulnerabilities often aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves executing malicious code through various system interfaces, and T1211, which focuses on exploiting memory corruption vulnerabilities for privilege escalation. The complexity of modern web browsers increases the attack surface significantly, as they must handle increasingly sophisticated web standards while maintaining security boundaries. This particular vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for robust memory management practices in browser development. The use-after-free condition in Chrome's table style handling represents a classic example of how memory safety issues can create persistent security risks that require careful attention to proper resource management and validation procedures. Browser vendors must implement comprehensive testing procedures that include memory safety analysis to prevent such vulnerabilities from reaching production environments. The remediation process for this vulnerability requires immediate deployment of Chrome version 14.0.835.163 or later, which includes patches specifically designed to address the memory management issues in table style processing. Security professionals should monitor for any indicators of exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems are updated to prevent potential compromise through this memory corruption vulnerability. The broader implications of this flaw underscore the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing layered security approaches to protect against sophisticated exploitation techniques.