CVE-2014-7938 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The Fonts implementation in Google Chrome before 40.0.2214.91 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 • 06/18/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7938 represents a critical memory corruption issue within Google Chrome's font rendering subsystem that existed in versions prior to 40.0.2214.91. This flaw resides in the browser's handling of font data processing, specifically affecting how Chrome manages font files and their associated metadata during rendering operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the inherent complexity and risk associated with font processing libraries, which must handle diverse and potentially malicious font formats from various sources including web content, local installations, and embedded resources.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management during font processing operations, where maliciously crafted font files could trigger buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption patterns. Attackers could exploit this weakness by delivering specially crafted font content through web pages, font files, or other vector mechanisms that would cause Chrome to process these malformed resources. The memory corruption could manifest as browser crashes, application instability, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the execution context and memory layout at the time of exploitation. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 out-of-bounds read and CWE-787 out-of-bounds write categories, representing common memory safety issues that can lead to arbitrary code execution when properly chained with other exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-7938 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the memory corruption could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks depending on the specific memory layout and exploitation conditions. Remote attackers could use this vulnerability to cause persistent browser crashes, leading to user experience degradation and potential service availability issues. In some cases, the memory corruption patterns might enable attackers to manipulate browser memory in ways that could facilitate privilege escalation or code execution, particularly when combined with other browser vulnerabilities or exploitation techniques. The vulnerability affects all users of affected Chrome versions regardless of their security awareness or system configuration, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where browser updates may be delayed or restricted.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates to Chrome version 40.0.2214.91 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory corruption issues in the font processing subsystem. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly, particularly in environments where users may be exposed to untrusted web content. Additional protective measures include implementing browser security policies that restrict font loading from untrusted sources, enabling sandboxing features, and deploying network-based security controls that can detect and block suspicious font content. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation patterns related to font processing vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059 command and scripting interpreter and T1203 legitimate program proxy execution categories, as attackers may leverage the browser's font processing capabilities to execute malicious code through seemingly legitimate web content.