CVE-2011-3926 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in the tree builder in Google Chrome before 16.0.912.77 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3926 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow within Google Chrome's tree builder component, affecting versions prior to 16.0.912.77. This flaw resides in the browser's HTML parsing engine where the tree builder processes structured document elements and maintains internal data structures to represent the document object model. The buffer overflow occurs when the application attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries within heap-allocated structures used for document tree construction, creating a potential exploitation vector for remote attackers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the tree builder's memory management routines. When processing malformed HTML content or specially crafted web pages, the parser fails to validate input data against predetermined buffer limits, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. This heap corruption can manifest in unpredictable behavior ranging from application crashes and denial of service conditions to potential code execution depending on memory layout and exploitation circumstances. The vulnerability's classification as heap-based indicates that the overflow affects dynamically allocated memory segments rather than stack-based buffers, making exploitation more complex but potentially more dangerous due to the nature of heap memory management.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to cause significant disruption to Chrome users through denial of service attacks that can crash the browser application or render specific web pages inaccessible. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description suggest potential for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation depending on the exploitation context and target environment. The vulnerability affects all users of affected Chrome versions regardless of their security awareness or system configurations, as the flaw exists within the core browser rendering engine that processes all web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3926 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment through Google's security updates, which address the underlying buffer overflow through proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Browser vendors should implement automatic update mechanisms to ensure rapid deployment of security fixes across all user bases. Additionally, organizations can employ network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems that can detect and block suspicious HTML content patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, when leveraged for remote code execution. Security teams should also consider implementing browser hardening measures including sandboxing, memory protection mechanisms, and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the browser's rendering pipeline.