CVE-2012-2829 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) implementation in Google Chrome before 20.0.1132.43 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to the :first-letter pseudo-element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2829 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Google Chrome's CSS rendering engine that existed prior to version 20.0.1132.43. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations after they have been freed, creating potential exploitation opportunities for malicious actors. The specific weakness manifests in the handling of the :first-letter pseudo-element, a CSS selector that targets the first letter of an element's content, making it particularly concerning given the widespread use of CSS in web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within Chrome's stylesheet processing pipeline. When the browser encounters CSS rules involving the :first-letter pseudo-element, the underlying memory allocation and deallocation mechanisms fail to properly track object references, resulting in a scenario where freed memory can be accessed and potentially overwritten. This use-after-free condition creates a predictable crash pattern that remote attackers can leverage to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple crashes since the freed memory locations may contain sensitive data or pointers that when accessed can lead to information disclosure or privilege escalation scenarios.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to web users who browse the internet with affected Chrome versions. The remote exploitation capability means attackers can craft malicious web pages that trigger the vulnerability without requiring user interaction beyond visiting the site. The potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that while denial of service is the primary concern, there exists possibility for more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. The widespread adoption of Google Chrome as a primary web browser amplifies the threat surface, as millions of users could potentially be affected by a single malicious website.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations. The attack surface is consistent with techniques outlined in the attack pattern taxonomy where attackers leverage memory corruption vulnerabilities to achieve remote code execution. The remediation approach involves updating Chrome to version 20.0.1132.43 or later, which includes memory management fixes that properly handle the lifecycle of objects associated with CSS pseudo-elements. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems to provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Regular patch management processes become critical in mitigating this risk, as the vulnerability represents a known weakness that can be exploited by threat actors without requiring sophisticated attack techniques or significant resources to develop.