CVE-2011-2877 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 14.0.835.202 does not properly handle SVG text, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors that lead to "stale font."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2877 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's handling of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) text elements that existed in versions prior to 14.0.835.202. This issue stems from Chrome's improper processing of SVG text components, specifically when dealing with font management and rendering operations. The vulnerability manifests when the browser encounters certain SVG text constructs that trigger problematic interactions with the underlying font handling mechanisms, creating a condition where stale font references persist in memory or rendering contexts.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of improper handling of font resources within the browser's rendering engine, which can be categorized as a software defect that enables arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. The flaw exploits how Chrome manages font caching and memory allocation when processing SVG text elements, particularly when font resources become stale or improperly released from memory. This condition allows attackers to craft malicious SVG content that, when rendered by the vulnerable browser, causes the font management system to enter an inconsistent state where stale font references remain accessible and potentially exploitable.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users of affected Chrome versions as it enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against targeted systems. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description suggest potential for more severe consequences including information disclosure or privilege escalation. The vulnerability can be exploited through web-based attacks where users visit compromised websites or click on malicious links that deliver SVG content designed to trigger the font handling flaw. Attackers can leverage this weakness to cause browser crashes, system instability, or potentially gain unauthorized access to system resources depending on the specific implementation details of the exploit.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-122, which describes buffer overflow conditions in heap-based data structures, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through web-based attacks. Organizations should implement immediate remediation measures by updating to Chrome version 14.0.835.202 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly handle SVG text elements and prevent stale font conditions. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls, content filtering systems, and user education regarding safe browsing practices. The fix addresses the core issue by improving memory management within the SVG text rendering pipeline and ensuring proper cleanup of font resources when processing malicious SVG content, thereby preventing the conditions that allow stale font references to persist and potentially be exploited.