CVE-2011-3969 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 17.0.963.46 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to layout of SVG documents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3969 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 17.0.963.46 that specifically targets the browser's handling of Scalable Vector Graphics documents. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-416 which categorizes use-after-free conditions as a fundamental memory safety issue where a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to unpredictable behavior. The flaw manifests during the layout processing of SVG documents, indicating that the vulnerability exploits memory management errors within Chrome's rendering engine when processing vector graphics content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when Chrome processes malformed or specially crafted SVG documents that trigger improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory locations. Attackers can leverage this condition to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by manipulating the browser's memory management during SVG layout operations. The use-after-free condition creates opportunities for attackers to overwrite memory contents with malicious data, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise depending on the execution environment. This vulnerability demonstrates how complex rendering engines in modern browsers can become attack surfaces when memory management is not properly enforced during document processing.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-3969 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios as the unspecified other impacts suggest potential for more severe consequences including remote code execution. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to compromise the affected system without requiring user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in web browsing environments where users frequently encounter various document types. The vulnerability affects not only individual users but also enterprise environments where Chrome is widely deployed, potentially enabling attackers to establish persistent access to target systems through web-based attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Chrome installations to version 17.0.963.46 or later, as this update addresses the underlying memory management issues in the SVG layout processing code. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying automated patch management systems to ensure all endpoints receive security updates promptly. Network-level defenses such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional protection by blocking suspicious SVG content, though these measures should not be relied upon as primary defenses. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of memory safety practices in browser development and demonstrates how the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter could be leveraged through such vulnerabilities to execute malicious payloads on compromised systems.