CVE-2012-2847 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 21.0.1180.57 on Mac OS X and Linux, and before 21.0.1180.60 on Windows and Chrome Frame, does not request user confirmation before continuing a large series of downloads, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
This vulnerability exists in Google Chrome versions prior to 21.0.1180.57 on macOS and Linux, and before 21.0.1180.60 on Windows and Chrome Frame. The flaw stems from the browser's handling of multiple simultaneous download requests without proper user confirmation mechanisms. When a malicious website attempts to initiate a large series of downloads, Chrome automatically processes these requests without prompting the user for approval, creating a potential vector for resource exhaustion attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's download management system failing to enforce user interaction requirements for bulk download operations. This behavior violates the principle of least privilege and user consent as outlined in security best practices. The vulnerability is classified as a resource exhaustion issue that can lead to denial of service conditions, as demonstrated by the ability of remote attackers to consume system resources through automated download sequences.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system stability and availability. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages that trigger numerous simultaneous download requests, potentially consuming all available bandwidth, disk space, or system memory. The impact extends beyond simple performance degradation to full system unresponsiveness, particularly on systems with limited resources. This vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation framework where resource exhaustion attacks are classified as common methods for system disruption.
The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in Chrome's user interface design and security policy enforcement mechanisms. It represents a gap in the browser's security model where automated processes can bypass user confirmation requirements that should normally be required for bulk operations. This flaw can be categorized under CWE-665 as improper initialization and CWE-400 as unchecked resource allocation. The lack of proper user consent for large download operations creates an attack surface that can be exploited to exhaust system resources through automated means.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate browser updates to patched versions where user confirmation is properly enforced for multiple download requests. System administrators should implement network-level controls to monitor and limit download traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Browser security policies should be reviewed to ensure proper enforcement of user consent for resource-intensive operations. Additionally, network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual download patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and user consent mechanisms in preventing automated resource exhaustion attacks that can be executed remotely without requiring privileged access to the target system.