CVE-2011-3066 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Skia, as used in Google Chrome before 18.0.1025.151, does not properly perform clipping, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3066 resides within Skia, a 2D graphics library that forms a critical component of Google Chrome's rendering engine prior to version 18.0.1025.151. This flaw represents a classic buffer overread condition that occurs when the graphics library fails to properly implement clipping operations during rendering processes. The issue manifests when Chrome processes graphical elements that require clipping boundaries, leading to memory access violations that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of graphical clipping operations within Skia's rendering pipeline. When Chrome encounters complex graphical elements that require boundary clipping, the library fails to validate the clipping parameters adequately, resulting in out-of-bounds memory reads. This condition allows attackers to craft specially crafted web content that, when rendered by the browser, triggers the flawed clipping logic and causes the application to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of graphics processing and memory management, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through standard web browsing activities without requiring special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant denial of service risk that can be exploited remotely by attackers to disrupt Chrome's normal operation. The out-of-bounds read condition can cause the browser to crash or behave unpredictably, effectively denying service to legitimate users while potentially providing attackers with opportunities to execute further exploits. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the vulnerability could potentially be leveraged in combination with other flaws to achieve arbitrary code execution, making it a critical concern for enterprise environments and users who browse untrusted websites regularly. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems, and represents a common pattern in graphics libraries where boundary checking fails during complex rendering operations.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations through browser updates to version 18.0.1025.151 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the clipping implementation flaw. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious graphical content patterns that might trigger this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated browser versions to ensure that the fix properly resolves the clipping logic without introducing regressions in rendering functionality. Additionally, security teams should monitor for related vulnerabilities in similar graphics libraries and consider implementing sandboxing techniques that limit the potential impact of such flaws. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of rigorous memory safety practices in graphics rendering components and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of core browser libraries that handle user-facing content processing.