CVE-2011-3092 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The regex implementation in Google V8, as used in Google Chrome before 19.0.1084.46, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid write operation) or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3092 represents a critical flaw in the regular expression engine implementation within Google V8 JavaScript runtime environment. This flaw existed in Google Chrome versions prior to 19.0.1084.46 and exposed users to potential remote code execution and system instability risks. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain regular expression patterns that could lead to memory corruption during pattern compilation or execution phases. The issue manifests as invalid write operations that can corrupt memory structures within the JavaScript engine, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or complete system crashes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient bounds checking and memory management within V8's regular expression compiler. When processing specific regular expression patterns, the engine fails to properly validate input parameters and memory allocation boundaries, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious patterns that trigger buffer overflows or invalid memory writes. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and memory safety practices that are fundamental to secure software development.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to web application security and user safety. Attackers can leverage this weakness through malicious websites or web applications that utilize crafted regular expressions to exploit the vulnerability remotely. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service, as the invalid write operations could potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected browser process. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users browse untrusted websites or receive malicious content through web-based channels. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting through web-based interfaces, and T1203, which involves exploitation of web applications for code execution.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2011-3092 requires immediate patching of affected Google Chrome installations to version 19.0.1084.46 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to address the memory corruption issues in the V8 regular expression engine. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to detect and block malicious regular expression patterns. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potentially affected systems and ensure that all browser installations remain current with security patches. The fix implemented by Google likely involved enhanced bounds checking, improved memory allocation validation, and stricter input parameter validation within the V8 regular expression compiler to prevent the invalid write operations that previously led to system instability and potential remote code execution.