CVE-2016-5153 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The Web Animations implementation in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 53.0.2785.89 on Windows and OS X and before 53.0.2785.92 on Linux, improperly relies on list iteration, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-destruction) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5153 represents a critical use-after-free condition within the Web Animations implementation of Blink engine, which powers Google Chrome browser across multiple operating systems. This flaw exists in versions prior to 53.0.2785.89 for Windows and OS X platforms and before 53.0.2785.92 for Linux systems. The issue stems from improper handling of list iteration mechanisms during animation processing, creating a scenario where memory objects can be accessed after they have been freed, leading to potential exploitation by remote attackers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations. When the Blink engine processes web animations, it maintains internal data structures that manage animation objects and their associated memory allocations. The improper list iteration mechanism causes the engine to traverse through these data structures without proper validation of object lifetimes, allowing attackers to manipulate the animation processing flow. This manipulation can trigger memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the same memory addresses, creating opportunities for arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as demonstrated by the potential for unspecified other impacts mentioned in the CVE description. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit this condition to cause browser crashes, memory corruption, or potentially achieve remote code execution depending on the specific memory layout and exploitation techniques employed. The vulnerability affects users across multiple platforms, making it particularly concerning for widespread exploitation, though the exact exploitability may vary between operating system implementations due to differences in memory management and execution environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Chrome browser versions to the recommended secure releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all endpoints are running patched versions. Additionally, network administrators can deploy web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains and implement content security policies that limit animation processing capabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management in browser engines and highlights the need for rigorous testing of complex data structure operations, particularly those involving iterative processing of dynamic objects. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain updated threat intelligence feeds to detect potential abuse of this vulnerability in the wild.