CVE-2013-0834 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 24.0.1312.52 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read) via vectors involving glyphs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0834 represents a critical out-of-bounds read flaw within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 24.0.1312.52. This issue specifically manifests when the browser processes graphical elements known as glyphs, which are the visual representations of characters and symbols within digital text rendering. The flaw occurs during the handling of font data and text rendering operations, where Chrome fails to properly validate the boundaries of glyph data structures before accessing memory locations. This improper boundary checking creates an exploitable condition that remote attackers can leverage to trigger unexpected memory access patterns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the browser's text rendering engine encountering malformed or specially crafted glyph data that exceeds expected memory boundaries. When Chrome attempts to read glyph information from memory locations beyond the allocated buffer, it results in an out-of-bounds read operation that can lead to unpredictable behavior including application crashes or potential information disclosure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the rendering layer where arbitrary web content is processed, making it accessible through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against Chrome users by simply hosting malicious web content that triggers the problematic glyph handling code path. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as the out-of-bounds read could potentially expose sensitive memory information to attackers, though the primary threat vector remains service disruption. The vulnerability affects a broad user base since Chrome was widely deployed across multiple operating systems and device types, amplifying the potential attack surface significantly.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient boundary checking, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for process injection and T1499 for network denial of service. The remediation strategy involves updating to Chrome version 24.0.1312.52 or later, which includes proper boundary validation mechanisms for glyph data processing. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates. Additionally, browser hardening measures such as sandboxing and memory protection features should be enabled to minimize potential exploitation impact even if users cannot immediately update their browsers. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust input validation in graphics rendering systems and highlights the need for continuous security auditing of browser components that handle external data processing.