CVE-2011-3042 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 17.0.963.65 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to the handling of table sections.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2021
The CVE-2011-3042 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 17.0.963.65 that specifically targets the browser's handling of table sections within web pages. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of use-after-free conditions, where memory that has been freed is still accessed by the application, creating potential exploitation vectors for remote attackers. The flaw manifests when Chrome processes HTML table elements, particularly during the manipulation of table sections such as thead, tbody, and tfoot elements, which are fundamental components of structured web content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's memory management system failing to properly validate references to table section objects after they have been removed from memory. When a web page contains dynamically manipulated table structures, particularly those involving rapid creation and destruction of table sections, the browser's garbage collection and memory deallocation processes can leave dangling pointers that remain accessible to subsequent operations. This creates a scenario where an attacker can craft malicious web content that triggers the browser to access freed memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to users of older Chrome versions, as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The potential impact extends beyond simple denial of service to include unspecified other impacts, suggesting that attackers might be able to leverage this flaw for more severe consequences such as privilege escalation or persistent system compromise. The vulnerability's remote exploitability makes it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently visit untrusted websites or are exposed to malicious web content through phishing attacks or compromised web services.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability as particularly concerning due to its potential for remote code execution and the ease with which it can be triggered through common web browsing patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' as attackers can leverage JavaScript to manipulate table elements and trigger the memory corruption. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability was specifically addressed in Chrome version 17.0.963.65 through enhanced memory management and validation routines for table element handling. The remediation process involves updating to the patched version and implementing additional web filtering measures to prevent access to known malicious sites that might exploit this flaw.