CVE-2015-6582 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The decompose function in platform/transforms/TransformationMatrix.cpp in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 45.0.2454.85, does not verify that a matrix inversion succeeded, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (uninitialized memory access and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6582 resides within the Blink rendering engine's transformation matrix handling mechanism, specifically in the decompose function located at platform/transforms/TransformationMatrix.cpp. This flaw affects Google Chrome versions prior to 45.0.2454.85 and represents a critical security issue that demonstrates poor error handling practices in mathematical operations. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation following matrix inversion operations, creating a scenario where the application continues execution with potentially invalid or uninitialized data states.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the decompose function's failure to validate the success of matrix inversion operations before proceeding with subsequent calculations. When a web page constructs a malformed transformation matrix that cannot be properly inverted, the function continues execution without proper error checking, leading to uninitialized memory access patterns. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-252, which addresses the issue of "Unchecked Return Values" in security contexts, where the return value of a critical operation is not verified before proceeding with dependent operations. The lack of validation creates a path for attackers to craft malicious web content that deliberately triggers these error conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks by causing application crashes through carefully constructed web content. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the uninitialized memory access patterns could potentially lead to more severe consequences including information disclosure or arbitrary code execution in certain circumstances. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to host a malicious website that utilizes transformation matrices in a manner that triggers the faulty code path, making it a browser-based attack vector that leverages the rich multimedia capabilities of modern web applications. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers "Exploitation for Client Execution" where adversaries use vulnerabilities in applications to execute malicious code.
The security implications of this vulnerability are significant as it represents a failure in input validation and error handling within a core rendering engine component. The vulnerability demonstrates how mathematical operations in graphics processing and transformation handling can create security risks when proper error boundaries are not established. The affected Chrome versions were widely deployed across multiple operating systems, amplifying the potential impact of this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a reliable method for causing application instability and potential system compromise. The fix implemented in Chrome 45.0.2454.85 involved adding proper validation checks to ensure that matrix inversion operations succeed before proceeding with decompose operations, thereby preventing the uninitialized memory access patterns that led to the vulnerability.