CVE-2011-3109 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 19.0.1084.52 on Linux does not properly perform a cast of an unspecified variable, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unknown other impact by leveraging an error in the GTK implementation of the UI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3109 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome version 19.0.1084.52 and earlier on Linux operating systems. This issue stems from improper casting of an unspecified variable within Chrome's codebase, creating a potential vector for remote exploitation that could lead to system instability or more severe consequences. The vulnerability specifically manifests when Chrome interacts with the GTK (GIMP Toolkit) implementation of the user interface on Linux platforms, where an error in the casting mechanism triggers unexpected behavior.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow and underflow conditions, and CWE-191, which covers integer underflow. The flaw occurs during the type casting process where Chrome fails to properly validate or convert variable types when interfacing with GTK components. This improper casting creates a scenario where malicious actors can manipulate input data to cause unexpected type conversions that result in memory corruption or execution flow disruption. The GTK implementation on Linux systems provides the graphical user interface components that Chrome relies upon, making this integration point particularly susceptible to exploitation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Linux users of affected Chrome versions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to initiate denial of service attacks by causing Chrome to crash or become unresponsive, effectively disrupting user productivity and system availability. The potential for unknown other impacts suggests that beyond simple service disruption, this vulnerability might enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques including privilege escalation or code execution in certain circumstances. The Linux-specific nature of this vulnerability means that users running Chrome on Linux distributions are particularly at risk, while Windows and macOS users remain unaffected by this particular flaw.
The attack surface for CVE-2011-3109 is primarily through web-based exploitation, where remote attackers can craft malicious web pages that trigger the vulnerable casting operation when Chrome renders the content. This typically involves visiting compromised websites or clicking on malicious links that contain specially crafted content designed to exploit the GTK integration flaw. The exploitation process requires the attacker to understand the specific GTK implementation details and how Chrome's rendering engine interacts with these components to successfully trigger the casting error.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve updating to Chrome version 19.0.1084.52 or later, which includes the necessary patches to address the improper casting issue. System administrators should prioritize patching affected Linux systems and ensure that automatic update mechanisms are enabled to prevent exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing web filtering solutions, using browser security extensions, and maintaining awareness of the specific GTK version compatibility requirements. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper type validation and casting in cross-platform applications, particularly when integrating with system-level libraries like GTK that provide fundamental user interface functionality. This issue serves as a reminder of the critical need for thorough input validation and type safety in browser implementations that interface with native system components, as highlighted by the ATT&CK framework's emphasis on privilege escalation and code execution techniques that can emerge from similar type confusion vulnerabilities.