CVE-2013-0879 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome before 25.0.1364.97 on Windows and Linux, and before 25.0.1364.99 on Mac OS X, does not properly implement web audio nodes, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0879 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's implementation of web audio nodes that affected multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS. This issue stems from improper handling of audio processing within the browser's web audio API implementation, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities. The vulnerability specifically impacted Chrome versions prior to 25.0.1364.97 on Windows and Linux systems, and before 25.0.1364.99 on macOS platforms, highlighting the cross-platform nature of the flaw.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation and management of web audio node operations within Chrome's rendering engine. When processing audio data through the Web Audio API, the browser fails to properly sanitize input parameters and memory allocations associated with audio node connections and processing. This inadequate implementation creates memory corruption conditions that can be triggered remotely through malicious web content. The flaw operates at the intersection of browser security boundaries where audio processing code interacts with the underlying system memory management, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users of affected Chrome versions as it enables remote code execution and denial of service attacks through seemingly benign web browsing activities. Attackers can craft malicious websites that, when visited by users with vulnerable Chrome versions, trigger memory corruption that may lead to complete system compromise or forced browser termination. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that beyond the immediate denial of service and memory corruption effects, it could potentially enable privilege escalation or information disclosure attacks. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious content through various attack vectors including phishing, compromised websites, or drive-by downloads.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1203 for exploitation for execution. From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-119 which describes weaknesses in memory management, specifically memory corruption issues that occur when data is written to memory locations outside the intended buffer boundaries. The improper implementation of web audio node validation creates conditions where attackers can manipulate audio processing operations to overwrite memory locations, leading to system instability or code execution. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability affects a core browser functionality that is extensively used across the internet. Additionally, implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.