CVE-2017-5052 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
An incorrect assumption about block structure in Blink in Google Chrome prior to 57.0.2987.133 for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and 57.0.2987.132 for Android, allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit memory corruption via a crafted HTML page that triggers improper casting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5052 represents a critical memory corruption issue within Blink, the web rendering engine that powers Google Chrome and numerous other web browsers. This flaw existed in Chrome versions prior to 57.0.2987.133 for desktop platforms and 57.0.2987.132 for Android devices, creating a significant security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers. The vulnerability stems from an incorrect assumption regarding block structure handling within the Blink engine's memory management system, specifically affecting how the engine processes and casts memory blocks during HTML page rendering operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper casting operations that occur when Blink processes crafted HTML content. When a malicious webpage contains specially constructed elements, the engine's block structure assumptions become invalid, leading to memory corruption through incorrect type casting. This issue falls under the CWE-121 category of Stack-based Buffer Overflow, though it manifests more specifically as a memory corruption vulnerability through improper casting mechanisms. The flaw demonstrates how assumptions about memory layout and object structure can lead to severe security implications when these assumptions are violated by malicious input.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a remote code execution risk that could be exploited by attackers who craft malicious HTML pages designed to trigger the specific memory corruption scenario. The attack vector requires only a victim to visit a compromised webpage, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or malicious website exploitation. The vulnerability affects multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, indicating a widespread impact across Google Chrome's user base. Security researchers classified this as a high-severity issue due to its potential for remote code execution and the ease with which attackers could craft effective payloads.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically involves creating HTML content that forces Blink to perform incorrect casting operations on memory blocks, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the Chrome process. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability could be leveraged for full system compromise. The fix implemented in Chrome 57.0.2987.133 and subsequent versions addresses the underlying casting assumptions and proper memory block handling to prevent the exploitation scenario. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability, particularly unusual browser behavior or attempts to execute code from web-based sources.