CVE-2012-5131 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 23.0.1271.91 on Mac OS X does not properly mitigate improper rendering behavior in the Intel GPU driver, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5131 represents a critical rendering issue within Google Chrome's implementation on macOS platforms, specifically affecting versions prior to 23.0.1271.91. This flaw resides in the interaction between Chrome's graphics rendering subsystem and the Intel GPU driver, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by remote adversaries to compromise system stability and functionality. The issue manifests through improper handling of graphics processing commands that are passed to the GPU driver, where Chrome fails to adequately sanitize or validate the rendering operations before execution.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper memory management within Chrome's graphics processing pipeline when communicating with Intel GPU drivers on macOS systems. This misconfiguration allows malicious actors to craft specific graphical content or web pages that trigger unexpected behavior in the GPU driver, potentially leading to system crashes or rendering anomalies. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the hardware abstraction layer where graphics processing occurs, making it difficult to detect and mitigate through traditional software-based security measures. According to CWE classification, this issue aligns with CWE-122, which describes improper restriction of operations within a recognized security boundary, and CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when processing graphics data.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5131 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that could compromise system integrity. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to cause repeated system crashes, leading to persistent denial of service conditions that disrupt user productivity and system availability. In some cases, the improper rendering behavior could potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code within the GPU driver context, although the exact attack vectors remain unspecified. The vulnerability affects the core graphics rendering functionality of Chrome, making it particularly dangerous as it could be triggered through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special user interaction or privilege escalation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation through system component exploitation and denial of service via system resource manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5131 primarily focus on updating Chrome to version 23.0.1271.91 or later, which includes patches that properly handle graphics rendering operations and prevent improper communication with the Intel GPU driver. System administrators should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious web content targeting graphics rendering vulnerabilities. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their browser software updated to address known vulnerabilities. Organizations should consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual GPU driver behavior or frequent system crashes that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date graphics drivers alongside browser software, as the Intel GPU driver patches may also contain necessary fixes for similar rendering issues. Regular security assessments should include verification of browser and driver versions to ensure compliance with security best practices and reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities that could be exploited through the graphics processing pipeline.