CVE-2013-0830 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The IPC layer in Google Chrome before 24.0.1312.52 on Windows omits a NUL character required for termination of an unspecified data structure, which has unknown impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0830 resides within the Inter-Process Communication layer of Google Chrome browser version 24.0.1312.52 and earlier on Windows operating systems. This flaw represents a critical memory management issue that affects the browser's internal communication mechanisms between different processes. The vulnerability specifically targets the IPC subsystem that facilitates secure communication between Chrome's various processes including the browser process, renderer processes, and utility processes. The omission of a required NUL character termination in an unspecified data structure creates a potential memory corruption scenario that could be exploited by malicious actors to execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of data structures within Chrome's IPC implementation where a missing NUL terminator character in memory allocation can lead to buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions. This type of flaw falls under the category of memory safety issues and aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor oversights in memory management can create significant security risks, particularly in complex browser architectures where multiple processes communicate frequently and share memory spaces. The unspecified nature of the data structure involved suggests this could affect various IPC message types or communication protocols within the browser's architecture.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users of affected Chrome versions as it could potentially allow remote code execution when a user visits a malicious website or opens a specially crafted document. Attackers could leverage this flaw to bypass modern security mitigations such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention mechanisms. The attack vectors remain unspecified, but typically such IPC vulnerabilities in browsers can be exploited through web-based attacks, malicious documents, or compromised websites that trigger the vulnerable code path. The impact extends beyond simple exploitation as the vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to system resources, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Chrome is widely deployed.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability primarily involves updating to Google Chrome version 24.0.1312.52 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly terminate the affected data structures. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of this security update across all affected systems, particularly those running older Chrome versions. Additionally, implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional defense in depth. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual process behavior or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper code review processes, particularly for critical components like IPC layers that handle sensitive inter-process communications. Organizations should also consider implementing browser hardening techniques and restricting browser functionality in high-security environments to minimize potential attack surface.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of memory safety in modern browser architectures and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, where memory corruption vulnerabilities can enable attackers to execute arbitrary commands through compromised browser processes. The flaw serves as a reminder of how complex software systems require rigorous testing and validation of memory management operations, particularly in security-sensitive components that handle untrusted data from multiple sources.