CVE-2011-3077 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability 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 involving the script bindings, related to a "read-after-free" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3077 represents a critical use-after-free condition within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 18.0.1025.151. This flaw exists in the browser's handling of script bindings and manifests as a read-after-free issue that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. Such memory corruption issues are particularly dangerous in web browsers since they can be triggered through standard web page content without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's JavaScript engine where script bindings are processed and managed in memory. When certain JavaScript objects are manipulated in specific sequences, the browser's garbage collector may prematurely free memory associated with these objects while script execution continues to reference them. This creates a scenario where attackers can control the contents of freed memory through carefully crafted malicious scripts, potentially leading to code execution in the browser's context. The issue is classified under CWE-416 as use of freed memory, and more specifically aligns with CWE-125 as out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when memory is accessed after deallocation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise and individual users alike since it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities. Attackers need only host malicious content on a web server and convince victims to visit the page to potentially compromise systems. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to include potential full system compromise, especially when combined with other exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that organizations cannot protect against it simply by controlling local network access or implementing traditional firewall rules. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome installations to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation involves updating to Chrome version 18.0.1025.151 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional layers of protection while patches are deployed. Browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary JavaScript features and implementing strict content security policies can reduce the attack surface. Regular security assessments and monitoring for exploitation attempts should be conducted to ensure proper remediation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing comprehensive patch management processes to protect against memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise.