CVE-2012-5132 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 23.0.1271.91 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a response with chunked transfer coding.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5132 represents a denial of service flaw affecting Google Chrome versions prior to 23.0.1271.91. This issue stems from the browser's handling of HTTP responses that employ chunked transfer coding, a method used to transmit data in multiple parts without specifying the total length upfront. The flaw manifests when Chrome encounters such responses, leading to application instability and potential crashes that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP chunked transfer encoding in web responses. When Chrome processes these malformed or specially crafted responses, the browser's parsing mechanism fails to properly handle the chunked data structure, resulting in memory corruption or unexpected behavior that ultimately causes the application to terminate abruptly. This represents a classic buffer overflow scenario where the application does not adequately validate or sanitize the incoming data stream before processing it.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-5132 extends beyond simple application instability, as it can be leveraged for broader security implications within web browsing environments. Remote attackers can craft malicious web pages or manipulate web servers to deliver chunked responses that trigger the vulnerability, potentially allowing them to disrupt user sessions or force repeated browser restarts. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly effective in environments where users rely heavily on browser-based applications or where persistent availability is critical.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses issues related to insufficient validation of length fields, and represents a specific manifestation of improper handling of data structures in network protocols. From an adversary perspective, the attack pattern follows the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, where attackers target application-level protocols to disrupt service availability. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign HTTP features can be weaponized when proper input validation mechanisms are absent or insufficient.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5132 primarily focus on updating Chrome to version 23.0.1271.91 or later, which incorporates proper handling of chunked transfer encoding responses. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all browser installations remain current with security updates. Additionally, network administrators can deploy web application firewalls or proxy servers that monitor and filter HTTP responses to identify potentially malicious chunked data patterns. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of robust input validation and proper error handling in network protocol implementations, particularly when dealing with streaming data formats that may contain variable-length components.