CVE-2012-2825 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The XSL implementation in Google Chrome before 20.0.1132.43 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (incorrect read operation) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2825 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations implementation of Google Chrome browser version 20.0.1132.42 and earlier. This issue resides in the browser's handling of XSL processing operations, which are fundamental components for transforming xml data into various formats including html presentation. The flaw manifests as an incorrect read operation that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt normal browser functionality without requiring any user interaction or privileged access. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the XSL processing engine, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the browser's internal operations through crafted XSL documents or web content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the realm of memory corruption and improper input handling as defined by CWE-125, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read errors. The incorrect read operation occurs when the browser processes XSL transformation requests, leading to memory access violations that can cause the browser to crash or become unresponsive. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in browser environments where users frequently encounter untrusted content from various sources. The attack vector remains unspecified in the original description but typically involves malicious websites or documents that contain specially crafted XSL elements designed to trigger the memory access violation. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent complexity of XSL processing implementations and how seemingly benign transformations can become attack vectors when proper bounds checking and memory management are lacking.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to users who rely on Google Chrome for their browsing activities, as the denial of service attack can effectively render the browser unusable without requiring any special privileges or user consent. The impact extends beyond simple browser crashes to potentially disrupting productivity and creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities. Organizations using Chrome as their primary browser face potential operational disruptions when users encounter malicious content, leading to increased support tickets, reduced productivity, and potential security incident response requirements. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping browser software updated, as the issue was resolved in Chrome version 20.0.1132.43 through improved memory management and input validation mechanisms. The attack scenario typically involves users visiting compromised websites or opening malicious documents that contain crafted XSL content designed to exploit this memory access violation, making it particularly challenging to defend against in environments where users may encounter untrusted web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2825 primarily focus on immediate software updates to the patched Chrome version, which implements proper bounds checking and memory management for XSL processing operations. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the patched browser version across all user endpoints and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include implementing web content filtering solutions that can block or sanitize XSL content, particularly in enterprise environments where users may encounter untrusted websites. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability management processes that can identify similar issues in other browser components or third-party libraries. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques related to privilege escalation and denial of service, though it operates at the application layer rather than system level. Organizations should consider implementing browser hardening measures and maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this and similar vulnerabilities in browser implementations.