CVE-2015-1295 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple use-after-free vulnerabilities in the PrintWebViewHelper class in components/printing/renderer/print_web_view_helper.cc in Google Chrome before 45.0.2454.85 allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact by triggering nested IPC messages during preparation for printing, as demonstrated by messages associated with PDF documents in conjunction with messages about printer capabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1295 represents a critical use-after-free condition within Google Chrome's printing subsystem, specifically affecting the PrintWebViewHelper class in the components/printing/renderer/print_web_view_helper.cc file. This flaw exists in Chrome versions prior to 45.0.2454.85 and demonstrates how improper memory management during print operations can create exploitable conditions. The vulnerability occurs when the browser processes nested inter-process communication messages during the printing preparation phase, creating a scenario where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory resources within Chrome's rendering engine when processing print requests for web content. During the preparation phase for printing, particularly when dealing with PDF documents and printer capability messages, the PrintWebViewHelper class fails to properly manage the lifecycle of allocated memory objects. When nested IPC messages are processed in sequence, the system attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating a use-after-free condition that can be exploited by remote attackers. This memory corruption scenario can manifest through multiple attack vectors involving different types of print operations and document formats, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1295 extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution and system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through user-assisted remote exploitation, meaning they need to convince a user to perform specific actions such as viewing a malicious webpage or opening a specially crafted document. The vulnerability's potential for unspecified other impacts aligns with common use-after-free attack patterns that can lead to privilege escalation, information disclosure, or complete system compromise depending on the execution environment and attack surface. This makes the vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Chrome is widely deployed and user interaction can be easily诱导.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1295 primarily focus on immediate patching and system updates to the affected Chrome versions. Organizations should prioritize updating to Chrome 45.0.2454.85 or later, which includes the necessary memory management fixes for the PrintWebViewHelper class. Additionally, implementing network-level protections such as content filtering and sandboxing measures can help reduce the attack surface. Security configurations should include disabling unnecessary print functionality where possible and implementing strict access controls for print operations. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-416 indicates it involves a use-after-free condition, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and script injection, though the primary impact is through memory corruption rather than direct execution. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual print-related IPC message patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability demonstrates the complexity of modern browser security where seemingly isolated components can create cascading effects through inter-process communication mechanisms. The exploitation requires careful orchestration of multiple factors including specific document types, print capabilities, and IPC message sequences, making it challenging to detect and prevent through simple signature-based approaches. The impact classification places this vulnerability in the category of medium to high severity due to its potential for remote code execution and the ease with which users can be诱导 into triggering the vulnerable code path. Regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs should include specific checks for similar memory corruption issues in browser rendering engines and their associated components.