CVE-2012-2863 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The PDF functionality in Google Chrome before 21.0.1180.75 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors that trigger out-of-bounds write operations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2863 represents a critical security flaw within Google Chrome's PDF rendering engine that existed prior to version 21.0.1180.75. This issue specifically affects the browser's handling of PDF documents and demonstrates a classic out-of-bounds write vulnerability that can be exploited through maliciously crafted PDF files. The flaw resides in how Chrome processes PDF content, particularly when parsing certain structures within PDF documents that trigger memory corruption conditions. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through remote exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787, which describes out-of-bounds write conditions that occur when a program writes data past the end of a buffer or array. In the context of Chrome's PDF handling, this occurs when the browser's PDF parser encounters malformed or specially crafted PDF elements that cause memory operations to extend beyond allocated buffer boundaries. The out-of-bounds write can potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations, leading to unpredictable behavior including application crashes, memory corruption, or in more sophisticated exploitation scenarios, arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in web browsers where users frequently encounter untrusted PDF content from various sources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users who regularly access PDF documents through Chrome, as the attack surface is broad and easily accessible through web browsers. The remote exploitation capability means that adversaries can deliver malicious PDF content through compromised websites, email attachments, or other web-based vectors without requiring local system access. The potential impacts range from simple denial of service where the browser crashes or becomes unresponsive to more severe consequences including complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code with the privileges of the Chrome process, potentially leading to full system compromise depending on the execution environment and user privileges.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2012-2863 primarily involves updating Google Chrome to version 21.0.1180.75 or later, which includes patches addressing the buffer overflow conditions in the PDF handling component. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all affected systems. Additional protective measures include implementing web application firewalls, content filtering solutions, and user education about avoiding untrusted PDF sources. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of sandboxing mechanisms and privilege separation in modern browsers, as these security features can limit the impact of such exploits even when they occur. Security professionals should monitor for indicators of compromise related to PDF-based attacks and maintain awareness of related vulnerabilities in the PDF rendering components of various software platforms.