CVE-2016-5154 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in PDFium, as used in Google Chrome before 53.0.2785.89 on Windows and OS X and before 53.0.2785.92 on Linux, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted JBig2 image.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2016-5154 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow in PDFium, the PDF rendering engine utilized by Google Chrome and other applications. This flaw specifically affects versions of Chrome prior to 53.0.2785.89 on Windows and OS X, and before 53.0.2785.92 on Linux systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when processing JBig2 images within PDF documents, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit memory corruption issues. The flaw falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that occurs when more data is written to a buffer than it can hold, potentially overwriting adjacent memory locations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting a malicious JBig2 image that, when processed by the vulnerable PDFium component, triggers the buffer overflow condition. This occurs during the parsing and rendering of JBig2 compressed image data within PDF documents, where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of the image data before allocating memory for its processing. The heap corruption can manifest in various ways depending on the memory layout and system architecture, potentially leading to memory corruption that affects the application's stability. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service, as the unspecified other impacts could include arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, or information disclosure, making it particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-5154 is significant for organizations relying on affected Chrome versions, as it represents a remote code execution vector that could be leveraged by threat actors to compromise user systems. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed browser software means that successful exploitation could affect millions of users, particularly those who frequently encounter PDF documents in their daily operations. Attackers could craft malicious PDF files containing specially crafted JBig2 images that would trigger the buffer overflow when opened in vulnerable browsers, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter, as the memory corruption could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected browser process.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remains open for systems running vulnerable software. The recommended mitigation strategy involves updating to Chrome versions 53.0.2785.89 or later on Windows and OS X, and 53.0.2785.92 or later on Linux systems, where the PDFium component has been patched to properly validate JBig2 image data. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to filter suspicious PDF content, deploying sandboxing mechanisms to limit the impact of potential exploitation, and establishing network monitoring to detect anomalous PDF processing activities. Security teams should also consider implementing browser hardening measures such as disabling JBig2 image support in PDF rendering when not required, and maintaining comprehensive monitoring of browser memory usage patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in preventing memory corruption exploits that could lead to system compromise.