CVE-2012-5147 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 24.0.1312.52 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors related to DOM handling.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5147 represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 24.0.1312.52 that fundamentally compromises the browser's memory management integrity. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to reference memory locations that have already been freed or deallocated, creating a dangerous condition where subsequent operations can corrupt data or execute arbitrary code. The flaw specifically manifests within Chrome's Document Object Model handling mechanisms, which form the core foundation for processing and rendering web content. The vulnerability's classification as a use-after-free aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of memory after it has been freed, making it a well-documented and highly dangerous class of memory corruption vulnerability. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages that trigger specific DOM operations, causing Chrome to improperly manage memory references during the processing of dynamic content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the use-after-free condition can potentially enable remote code execution in certain circumstances. When Chrome processes web content containing malicious DOM elements, the browser's memory management system may attempt to access freed memory locations, leading to unpredictable behavior that could be leveraged for more severe attacks. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that attackers might be able to manipulate the browser's execution flow or exploit additional memory corruption vectors that compound the initial flaw. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in the context of web browsers because they process untrusted content from multiple sources and maintain complex memory management systems that handle numerous concurrent operations. The attack surface is significantly expanded when considering that the vulnerability affects DOM handling, which is fundamental to how web pages render and function, making it possible for attackers to craft sophisticated payloads that target the browser's core rendering engine.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5147 primarily focus on immediate browser updates and deployment of security patches, as the vulnerability was addressed through Chrome version 24.0.1312.52 and subsequent releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all browser installations. The vulnerability's nature makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation in targeted attacks, where attackers craft specific web pages designed to trigger the use-after-free condition during normal browser operations. Security teams should consider implementing browser hardening measures such as sandboxing, memory protection mechanisms, and content security policies to reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing automated security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such vulnerabilities under the 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and 'Memory Corruption' techniques, highlighting the need for layered security approaches that combine software updates with network monitoring and endpoint protection measures. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and browser security extensions that can help detect and block malicious content before it can trigger memory corruption vulnerabilities within the browser's core components.