CVE-2013-0896 in Chrome
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 manage memory during message handling for plug-ins, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0896 represents a critical memory management flaw within Google Chrome's plugin message handling mechanism across multiple operating systems. This issue affects Chrome versions prior to 25.0.1364.97 on Windows and Linux platforms, and before 25.0.1364.99 on Mac OS X systems. The flaw manifests during the processing of messages transmitted between the browser core and plugin components, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by remote threat actors. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption issues that can lead to unpredictable system behavior and security consequences.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within Chrome's plugin architecture when processing inter-process communication messages. When plugins receive messages from the main browser process, the memory allocation and deallocation mechanisms fail to properly validate or manage the memory resources, creating conditions where memory corruption can occur. This memory mismanagement typically involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory consistency violations that can be triggered through malformed plugin messages. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the core messaging layer of the browser's plugin system, which is frequently accessed during normal browsing operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0896 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause browser crashes and system instability, effectively creating a denial of service condition that disrupts user productivity and web browsing experience. However, the unspecified nature of potential additional impacts suggests that the vulnerability may also provide opportunities for privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution in certain scenarios. The memory corruption aspects of this flaw align with common attack patterns described in the attack tree framework, where memory-related vulnerabilities serve as primary entry points for more complex exploitation techniques.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with complex plugin architectures and inter-process communication systems. The flaw represents a classic example of insufficient input validation and memory management practices that are commonly addressed through secure coding guidelines and defensive programming techniques. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and browser hardening measures to limit exposure to this type of vulnerability. The impact assessment should include monitoring for unusual browser behavior, implementing automated patch management processes, and maintaining awareness of related vulnerabilities in plugin ecosystems. This vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security updates and the need for organizations to maintain current browser versions to protect against known exploits.
The vulnerability maps to several industry standards and frameworks including CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. These classifications highlight the memory safety issues that can arise from improper bounds checking in plugin message handling. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be categorized under initial access and privilege escalation techniques, as it provides a potential foothold for attackers to gain deeper system access. The remediation approach should focus on implementing proper memory management practices, including bounds checking, input validation, and secure coding standards to prevent similar issues in future development cycles. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions and consider implementing browser security controls to mitigate potential exploitation attempts.