CVE-2012-6470 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 12.12 does not properly allocate memory for GIF images, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory overwrite) via a malformed image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6470 represents a critical memory allocation flaw in Opera web browsers prior to version 12.12. This issue specifically affects the handling of Graphics Interchange Format image files, which are widely used across the internet for web content delivery. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the browser's image processing pipeline, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the software through specially crafted image files.
The technical nature of this vulnerability resides in the improper memory allocation mechanisms used when processing GIF images. When Opera encounters a malformed GIF file, the browser fails to properly validate the image structure before allocating memory for its components. This leads to a condition where memory overwrites can occur during the parsing process, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory contents in ways that could execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability manifests as a classic buffer overflow scenario where the application writes beyond the allocated memory boundaries, creating opportunities for code execution or system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users who browse the internet with affected versions of Opera. Attackers can craft malicious GIF images that, when viewed in the vulnerable browser, trigger the memory corruption behavior. The exploit can result in either remote code execution, allowing attackers to gain control over the victim's system, or denial of service conditions that crash the browser application. Given that GIF images are commonly used across websites, web applications, and email attachments, the attack surface for this vulnerability is extensive and the potential impact is broad.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The memory overwrite behavior creates opportunities for privilege escalation and system compromise, particularly when combined with other exploitation techniques. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a classic example of how multimedia processing components in browsers can serve as attack vectors due to insufficient input sanitization.
Organizations and users should immediately upgrade to Opera version 12.12 or later to remediate this vulnerability. The fix implemented by Opera addresses the memory allocation logic specifically for GIF image processing, ensuring proper bounds checking and validation before memory allocation occurs. Additional mitigations include implementing web content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious image files, disabling automatic image loading in browsers when browsing untrusted sites, and maintaining comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other browser components or web applications.