CVE-2015-1245 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the OpenPDFInReaderView::Update function in browser/ui/views/location_bar/open_pdf_in_reader_view.cc in Google Chrome before 41.0.2272.76 might allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact by triggering interaction with a PDFium "Open PDF in Reader" button that has an invalid tab association.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2022
The CVE-2015-1245 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Google Chrome's PDF handling mechanism that existed in versions prior to 41.0.2272.76. This vulnerability specifically resides in the OpenPDFInReaderView::Update function located in browser/ui/views/location_bar/open_pdf_in_reader_view.cc, which governs the interaction between Chrome's user interface and the PDFium library's rendering capabilities. The flaw manifests when users encounter a malformed PDF document containing an "Open PDF in Reader" button that has been improperly associated with a tab context, creating a scenario where memory management becomes compromised during the processing of PDF content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a user-assisted remote attack vector where malicious actors can craft PDF documents designed to trigger the problematic code path when users interact with specific PDF elements. When Chrome processes such a document and encounters the invalid tab association within the PDFium reader interface, the Update function attempts to access memory that has already been freed, leading to heap memory corruption. This use-after-free condition, classified under CWE-416, creates opportunities for attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through carefully constructed memory access patterns that exploit the freed memory blocks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the heap corruption could potentially be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability's classification as a user-assisted remote attack means that exploitation requires user interaction with malicious content, but once triggered, the consequences could include complete system compromise or data corruption. This represents a significant concern within the context of the ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter, as the corrupted memory state could enable privilege escalation or code execution. The vulnerability affects Chrome's PDF rendering functionality and could potentially be chained with other exploits to create more severe security breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1245 primarily involve immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to 41.0.2272.76 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying automated patch management systems to ensure timely remediation. Additional defensive measures include implementing content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious PDF content, enabling sandboxing features within Chrome to limit the impact of potential exploitation, and monitoring for unusual PDF processing behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management in browser-based PDF rendering engines and underscores the need for continuous security auditing of third-party libraries like PDFium that form integral parts of modern web browsers.