CVE-2013-2860 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Google Chrome before 27.0.1453.110 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors involving access to a database API by a worker process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2021
The CVE-2013-2860 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 27.0.1453.110 that exposes users to significant security risks through improper memory management practices. This vulnerability specifically affects the browser's handling of database API access within worker processes, creating a dangerous condition where freed memory locations are still referenced by subsequent operations. The flaw manifests when a worker thread attempts to access database resources after the underlying memory structures have been deallocated, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management controls within Chrome's multi-process architecture, particularly in how the browser handles database operations initiated by background worker threads. When a worker process accesses database API functions, the system allocates memory for database connections and operations, but fails to properly track the lifecycle of these resources. This creates a window of opportunity where the memory can be freed while still being referenced by active worker threads, resulting in a use-after-free condition that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution or system instability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to web browsing security as it allows remote attackers to trigger denial of service conditions or potentially achieve more dangerous outcomes through carefully crafted web content. The attack vector involves delivering malicious web pages that utilize database API calls within worker processes, causing the browser to execute code that exploits the freed memory references. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios where users may encounter malicious content through various web browsing activities, including social engineering attacks, compromised websites, or drive-by downloads.
The impact of CVE-2013-2860 aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free vulnerabilities in software systems, and demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in browser security architectures. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting through web-based protocols, as attackers can exploit this flaw through web content delivery. The vulnerability's exploitation potential extends beyond simple denial of service to include possible privilege escalation and system compromise, making it a significant concern for enterprise security teams and individual users alike.
Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to Chrome version 27.0.1453.110 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes for this vulnerability. Additionally, browser hardening measures such as enabling sandboxing features, implementing strict content security policies, and deploying web application firewalls can provide additional defense layers against exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual database API access patterns within browser processes, as these may indicate exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. Regular security updates and patch management programs are essential to prevent exploitation of similar memory corruption vulnerabilities that may emerge in browser software.