CVE-2013-2903 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the HTMLMediaElement::didMoveToNewDocument function in core/html/HTMLMediaElement.cpp in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 29.0.1547.57, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors involving moving a (1) AUDIO or (2) VIDEO element between documents.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2021
The CVE-2013-2903 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the Blink rendering engine that powers Google Chrome browsers. This vulnerability specifically resides in the HTMLMediaElement::didMoveToNewDocument function located in core/html/HTMLMediaElement.cpp, making it a core component of the browser's media handling infrastructure. The flaw manifests when audio and video elements are moved between different documents within the browser's DOM structure, creating a scenario where memory previously allocated to these media elements becomes accessible after it has been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management during document transitions involving HTML media elements. When an AUDIO or VIDEO element is moved from one document context to another, the didMoveToNewDocument function fails to properly handle the memory cleanup process, resulting in a use-after-free condition. This condition occurs because the function does not adequately invalidate references to the freed memory before the element is moved, allowing subsequent operations to access memory that has already been deallocated. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through legitimate DOM manipulation operations that occur during normal web browsing activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as indicated by the unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description. Attackers can potentially leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code within the browser context, making it a severe security concern that could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects all versions of Google Chrome prior to 29.0.1547.57, representing a significant attack surface for malicious actors who could craft web pages designed to exploit this condition. The use-after-free pattern commonly maps to CWE-416, which specifically addresses use of freed memory conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based exploitation methods.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-2903 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions that contain the patched Blink rendering engine. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly, as this vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild. Additionally, browser security configurations can be enhanced through sandboxing mechanisms and content security policies that limit the ability of malicious web content to manipulate DOM elements in ways that could trigger memory corruption. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust memory management practices in web browser engines and underscores the need for continuous security auditing of core rendering components that handle user-generated content. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to exploitation attempts and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to detect potential exploitation of similar memory corruption vulnerabilities in the browser ecosystem.