CVE-2011-3069 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) implementation in Google Chrome before 18.0.1025.151 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to line boxes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3069 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Google Chrome's CSS rendering engine that existed prior to version 18.0.1025.151. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations that have already been freed, creating potential attack vectors for remote exploitation. The issue specifically affects the cascading style sheets implementation where line box handling mechanisms are processed, making it particularly dangerous within the browser's rendering pipeline where CSS parsing and layout calculations occur.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating CSS properties in a way that triggers improper memory management during line box creation and destruction processes. When Chrome processes complex CSS layouts, particularly those involving dynamic styling changes or nested elements, the memory allocated for line box objects can be prematurely freed while the rendering engine still attempts to access these locations. This memory corruption scenario can result in unpredictable behavior including application crashes, memory corruption, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the attacker's control over the memory layout. The vulnerability's classification as use-after-free aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory in software applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to web browsing security as it can be exploited through malicious web pages without requiring user interaction beyond visiting the compromised site. Attackers can craft CSS content that, when rendered by the affected Chrome versions, triggers the memory corruption leading to either denial of service attacks that crash the browser or more severe exploitation scenarios that could allow remote code execution. The impact extends beyond simple browser crashes as the memory corruption can potentially be leveraged to execute malicious code within the browser's security context, compromising user data and system integrity.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2011-3069 primarily involves updating to Google Chrome version 18.0.1025.151 or later, which includes patches addressing the memory management issues in the CSS rendering engine. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all browser installations are updated promptly, particularly given the remote exploitation potential. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious CSS content patterns. Additionally, browser hardening techniques such as sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms can provide additional defense layers against potential exploitation attempts, aligning with attack mitigation strategies outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for execution through web browsers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in browser engines and highlights the critical need for regular security updates in client-side applications.