CVE-2012-2866 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 21.0.1180.89 does not properly perform a cast of an unspecified variable during handling of run-in elements, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unknown other impact via a crafted document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2866 represents a critical memory corruption issue within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 21.0.1180.89. This flaw manifests during the processing of run-in elements within HTML documents, which are specific CSS display properties that allow inline content to behave as block-level elements while maintaining inline formatting characteristics. The vulnerability stems from an improper type casting operation involving an unspecified variable that occurs during the browser's rendering engine's handling of these particular HTML elements. The affected rendering engine component processes the document structure and attempts to cast variables to different data types without proper validation, creating a potential exploitation vector for remote attackers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious web page contains a crafted HTML document with run-in elements that trigger the problematic code path within Chrome's rendering engine. During the processing of these elements, the browser's JavaScript engine or rendering component attempts to cast an unspecified variable to an incompatible data type, potentially leading to memory corruption or unexpected behavior. This type of memory manipulation can result in the browser crashing or exhibiting unpredictable behavior that may be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues and can be classified as a type confusion vulnerability according to CWE-128, where the program attempts to use data of one type as if it were another type. The improper casting operation creates a condition where the program's memory management becomes compromised, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory contents or execute arbitrary code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it can potentially enable remote code execution or information disclosure depending on the specific memory corruption that occurs during the casting operation. When exploited successfully, attackers can cause Chrome to crash or behave erratically, leading to a denial of service condition that disrupts user browsing sessions. However, the more concerning aspect is the potential for advanced exploitation techniques that could leverage the memory corruption to execute malicious code within the browser's context. This vulnerability affects all users of affected Chrome versions and represents a significant risk since it can be triggered through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe given Chrome's widespread adoption and the fact that it operates with elevated privileges within the user's system context.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 21.0.1180.89 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the improper casting operation. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly, as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction. Browser vendors should also consider implementing additional security measures such as memory corruption protections and sandboxing mechanisms to reduce the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities. From a defensive perspective, network administrators can deploy web application firewalls or content filtering systems that can detect and block known malicious patterns associated with exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and type checking in browser rendering engines, emphasizing the need for robust code review processes and automated testing procedures that can identify similar issues before they are exploited in the wild. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability would be categorized under T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers could potentially use the browser as an initial access point for further exploitation.