CVE-2013-6637 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Google Chrome before 31.0.1650.63 allow attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6637 represents a collection of unspecified security flaws within Google Chrome browser versions prior to 31.0.1650.63. This vulnerability class demonstrates the complexity and unpredictability inherent in modern browser security ecosystems where multiple attack vectors can exist simultaneously within a single software release. The unspecified nature of these vulnerabilities indicates that attackers could exploit various underlying weaknesses that were not fully catalogued at the time of reporting, creating a broad attack surface that required comprehensive patching approaches.
These unspecified vulnerabilities within Chrome's architecture could potentially enable attackers to execute denial of service attacks that would disrupt normal browser operations and user experiences. The possibility of additional impacts beyond simple service disruption suggests that these flaws might have permitted more sophisticated exploitation techniques including potential code execution or privilege escalation scenarios. The vulnerability affects the browser's core rendering and processing capabilities, making it particularly dangerous as it could compromise user sessions and system integrity. Such vulnerabilities often stem from memory corruption issues, improper input validation, or race conditions within the browser's complex codebase that handles web content processing.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-6637 extends beyond immediate denial of service conditions to potentially enable more severe security breaches. Attackers leveraging these unspecified vulnerabilities could create persistent threats that compromise user data, session hijacking opportunities, or provide footholds for further attacks within network environments. The vulnerability's presence in widely used browser software creates significant risk for enterprise and individual users alike, as Chrome's market dominance means that exploitation could affect large user populations simultaneously. These types of vulnerabilities typically align with attack patterns described in the attack tree methodology where multiple exploitation paths exist, making comprehensive defense strategies essential.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as an example of how browser security requires continuous monitoring and patch management due to the inherent complexity of modern web browsers. The vulnerability's classification aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-119 for memory corruption and CWE-20 for input validation issues, though specific mappings would require detailed forensic analysis of the affected code. Organizations should implement robust patch management procedures and maintain awareness of vulnerability disclosures from vendors like Google. The remediation approach for this vulnerability required users to upgrade to Chrome version 31.0.1650.63 or later, demonstrating the importance of timely security updates in mitigating browser-based threats. This vulnerability type also highlights the need for defensive measures such as browser hardening, network monitoring, and user education to reduce exposure to zero-day exploits.