CVE-2012-2882 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
FFmpeg, as used in Google Chrome before 22.0.1229.79, does not properly handle OGG containers, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors, related to a "wild pointer" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2882 represents a critical memory safety issue within FFmpeg library components that were integrated into Google Chrome browser versions prior to 22.0.1229.79. This flaw specifically manifests when processing OGG container format files, which are commonly used for audio and video content delivery on the web. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can lead to unpredictable system behavior and potential exploitation by malicious actors.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory pointers within the FFmpeg library's OGG container parsing routines. When Chrome processes OGG files, the library fails to properly validate or manage memory references, creating what security researchers classify as a "wild pointer" condition. This occurs when the software attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly allocated or have already been freed, leading to memory corruption. Such wild pointer issues are particularly dangerous because they can result in arbitrary code execution or system crashes, making them attractive targets for exploit development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as indicated by the unspecified nature of potential additional consequences. Remote attackers could leverage this weakness to cause browser crashes, leading to service disruption for users, or potentially execute malicious code on affected systems. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage containing specially crafted OGG content, making it particularly dangerous in web-based attack scenarios. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries gain execution capabilities through browser vulnerabilities.
The security implications of CVE-2012-2882 demonstrate the critical importance of proper memory management in multimedia processing libraries that are widely integrated into browser applications. When libraries like FFmpeg are embedded within browsers, vulnerabilities in their handling of multimedia formats can create attack vectors that affect millions of users. The issue is classified under CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference conditions, though the wild pointer nature suggests more complex memory corruption patterns. Organizations using affected Chrome versions face significant risk exposure, as this vulnerability could be exploited in drive-by download attacks or malicious websites that deliver OGG content as part of their attack payload. The remediation strategy involves updating to Chrome version 22.0.1229.79 or later, which includes patched FFmpeg components that properly handle OGG container structures and prevent memory corruption during parsing operations.