CVE-2012-3563 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 12.00 Beta allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a web page that contains invalid character encodings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3563 affects Opera web browsers prior to version 12.00 Beta, representing a significant denial of service weakness that could be exploited by remote attackers to crash the application. This flaw specifically manifests when the browser encounters web pages containing invalid character encodings, causing the application to crash and potentially disrupting user sessions. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic parsing error where the browser fails to properly handle malformed input data, leading to unexpected application termination.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within Opera's character encoding handling mechanisms. When the browser processes web content with malformed or unsupported character encodings, it fails to implement proper error recovery procedures, resulting in a crash condition. The issue represents a type of buffer overflow or parsing exception that occurs during the rendering process when the browser attempts to interpret and display content with invalid encoding sequences. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which addresses issues related to improper validation of input boundaries, and CWE-248, which covers exceptions in the absence of proper handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it provides attackers with a method to disrupt user productivity and potentially gain unauthorized access to system resources. Remote attackers can craft malicious web pages that specifically target this encoding flaw, causing the browser to crash whenever users attempt to access such content. This creates a vector for denial of service attacks that could be particularly effective in environments where users frequently access untrusted web content or where the browser serves as a primary interface for critical business operations. The vulnerability could be leveraged in combination with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated compromise scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate software updates and browser configuration adjustments. Users should upgrade to Opera version 12.00 Beta or later, which includes proper character encoding validation and error handling mechanisms. System administrators should implement browser security policies that restrict access to untrusted websites and consider deploying content filtering solutions that can identify and block potentially malicious character encoding patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1210, which addresses exploitation of vulnerabilities in software applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems that can detect unusual browser crash patterns or encoding-related anomalies. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other browser components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar encoding-based exploits.