CVE-2012-3568 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 12.00 Beta allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via crafted WebGL content, as demonstrated by a codeflow.org WebGL demo.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3568 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Opera web browsers prior to version 12.00 Beta. This vulnerability specifically targets the browser's implementation of WebGL technology, which is a JavaScript API for rendering interactive 3D graphics within web browsers without requiring additional plugins. The flaw enables remote attackers to craft malicious WebGL content that can trigger application crashes, effectively disrupting normal browser operations and potentially providing a vector for more sophisticated attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within Opera's WebGL implementation. When the browser encounters crafted WebGL content, the parsing and execution of this malicious code causes the application to crash or become unresponsive. The demonstration using codeflow.org WebGL demo illustrates how seemingly innocuous graphics code can be manipulated to exploit the underlying buffer overflow or memory corruption issues within the browser's graphics rendering pipeline. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, or CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common in graphics rendering libraries and WebGL implementations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to users who may inadvertently encounter malicious WebGL content while browsing the web. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver malicious content through compromised websites, phishing campaigns, or malicious advertisements without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a vulnerable page. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption, as repeated exploitation could lead to more severe system instability or provide attackers with opportunities to escalate privileges. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through the manipulation of graphics rendering components.
The security implications of this flaw extend to enterprise environments where users may be exposed to untrusted web content through various attack vectors including email attachments, web-based applications, or compromised third-party services. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader browser security posture, particularly given that WebGL support was becoming increasingly common in modern web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of keeping browser software updated, as the issue was resolved in Opera 12.00 Beta through improved input validation and memory management within the WebGL subsystem. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including browser updates, web content filtering, and user education about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. The remediation process requires careful attention to ensure that the updated browser version properly addresses the underlying memory management issues while maintaining compatibility with legitimate WebGL applications.