Vulnerability in Google Chrome Could Allow Local Code Execution

Executive Summary

Microsoft is providing notification of the discovery and remediation of a vulnerability affecting Google Chrome version 17.0.963.79 and earlier versions. Microsoft discovered and disclosed the vulnerability under coordinated vulnerability disclosure to the affected vendor, Google. Google has remediated the vulnerability in their software.

A local code execution vulnerability exists in Google Chrome due to the insecure loading of NPAPI plugins on Chrome. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

Microsoft Vulnerability Research reported this issue to and coordinated with Google to ensure remediation of this issue. The vulnerability has been assigned the entry, CVE-2011-3098, in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list. For more information, including information about updates from Google, see Google Chrome Releases for May 15, 2012.

Mitigating Factors

• An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• This vulnerability requires that a specially crafted file be placed within one of the searched plugin directories used by Google Chrome. An attacker would need sufficient access rights to place a specially crafted file on a target system.