CVE-2015-1257 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
platform/graphics/filters/FEColorMatrix.cpp in the SVG implementation in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 43.0.2357.65, does not properly handle an insufficient number of values in an feColorMatrix filter, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (container overflow) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1257 resides within the SVG filter implementation of the Blink rendering engine, specifically in the FEColorMatrix.cpp file. This flaw manifests in Google Chrome versions prior to 43.0.2357.65 where the application fails to properly validate the number of values provided in an feColorMatrix filter element. The feColorMatrix filter is a standard SVG element used to apply color transformations to graphical elements, typically employing a 4x5 matrix for color manipulation. When an attacker crafts a malicious SVG document containing an feColorMatrix filter with insufficient values, the browser's parsing mechanism encounters a boundary condition that leads to improper memory handling.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation where the Blink engine does not adequately check the expected number of parameters required for a valid color matrix operation. According to CWE-129, this represents an insufficient validation of the number of input values, which can lead to buffer overflows or other memory corruption issues. The vulnerability specifically targets the container overflow condition that occurs when the filter processing code attempts to read beyond allocated memory boundaries, as the implementation assumes a minimum number of values that may not be present in crafted malicious documents.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution. When a container overflow occurs in the graphics processing pipeline, it can corrupt memory structures used by the browser's rendering engine, potentially allowing remote attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the browser process. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities to gain remote code execution capabilities. The vulnerability affects all versions of Chrome prior to 43.0.2357.65, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts a significant portion of users who may not have updated their browsers.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1257 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 43.0.2357.65 and later where the validation logic has been corrected. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all Chrome installations are updated promptly. Additionally, web application developers should validate SVG content and implement strict input sanitization when processing user-generated graphics. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in graphics processing libraries and highlights the need for proper boundary checking in mathematical operations involving matrix transformations. Security teams should monitor for similar vulnerabilities in SVG filter implementations and consider implementing content security policies that restrict the use of potentially dangerous SVG features in web applications.