CVE-2016-1641 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in content/browser/web_contents/web_contents_impl.cc in Google Chrome before 49.0.2623.75 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact by triggering an image download after a certain data structure is deleted, as demonstrated by a favicon.ico download.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1641 represents a critical use-after-free condition within Google Chrome's web contents implementation, specifically in the content/browser/web_contents/web_contents_impl.cc file. This flaw exists in Chrome versions prior to 49.0.2623.75 and demonstrates how improper memory management can lead to severe security implications. The vulnerability manifests when a remote attacker manipulates the browser's handling of image downloads, particularly favicon.ico files, in a manner that triggers access to already freed memory structures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a specific sequence of events where a data structure is deleted from memory while references to it may still exist, creating a use-after-free scenario. When an attacker triggers an image download, such as a favicon.ico file, after a particular data structure has been freed, the browser attempts to access memory that has already been deallocated. This memory access violation can result in unpredictable behavior including application crashes, denial of service conditions, or potentially more severe consequences depending on the attacker's ability to control memory layout and execution flow.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to Chrome users and organizations relying on the browser for web navigation and content consumption. The denial of service aspect means that attackers can reliably crash browser processes, disrupting user productivity and potentially enabling persistent disruption attacks. The unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description suggest that under certain conditions, this vulnerability could potentially be exploited for more sophisticated attacks including code execution, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may be exposed to malicious web content. The vulnerability's exploitation through favicon.ico downloads is particularly concerning as favicons are commonly requested by browsers during normal web browsing operations, making this attack vector highly accessible and difficult to defend against through simple user awareness.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition, and represents a classic example of improper memory management in browser implementations. The attack pattern follows typical exploit methodologies documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques related to remote code execution and privilege escalation through browser vulnerabilities. Organizations should consider implementing browser hardening measures including regular updates, sandboxing mechanisms, and network-based protections to mitigate exposure to this and similar vulnerabilities. The fix implemented in Chrome version 49.0.2623.75 demonstrates the importance of proper memory management practices and timely security patch deployment in maintaining browser security posture against sophisticated attack vectors.