ChromeWeb browser · Google

CVE-2012-2852

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-08-06

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 21.0.1180.56 or later.

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The PDF functionality in Google Chrome before 21.0.1180.57 on Mac OS X and Linux, and before 21.0.1180.60 on Windows and Chrome Frame, does not properly handle object linkage, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted document.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Chrome's PDF viewer has a use-after-free vulnerability caused by improper object linkage handling when parsing PDF documents. A remote attacker can exploit this by tricking users into opening a specially crafted PDF file, potentially leading to denial of service or arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate Google Chrome to version 21.0.1180.57 or later (for Mac/Linux) and 21.0.1180.60 or later (for Windows/Chrome Frame). Ensure all users in the organization apply the browser update through standard patch management processes.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

ChromeWeb browser

Affected:<= 21.0.1180.56= 21.0.1180.0= 21.0.1180.1= 21.0.1180.2= 21.0.1180.31= 21.0.1180.32= 21.0.1180.33= 21.0.1180.34= 21.0.1180.35= 21.0.1180.36= 21.0.1180.37= 21.0.1180.38

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: M
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Partial
Integrity: Partial
Availability: Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Verify Google Chrome is installed

Check for Chrome installation: On Windows, look in Program Files or check registry; on macOS, check /Applications for Google Chrome.app; on Linux, run 'which google-chrome' or 'which chromium-browser'

Affected if Google Chrome is not found on the system, the system is not affected by this specific Chrome vulnerability
Retrieve the installed Chrome version

Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://version, or run 'google-chrome --version' (Linux/macOS) or check the version from the executable properties (Windows)

Affected if Unable to determine the Chrome version - manual investigation required
Compare version against affected range

The affected versions are: 21.0.1180.0 through 21.0.1180.38, and any version <= 21.0.1180.56. Compare your installed version number to this list. Versions 21.0.1180.57 and later (Mac/Linux) or 21.0.1180.60 and later (Windows) are fixed.

Affected if The installed version matches any of the affected versions listed (21.0.1180.0 to 21.0.1180.38, or <= 21.0.1180.56)
Confirm PDF viewer is accessible

The vulnerability lies in Chrome's built-in PDF viewer. Verify the PDF viewer is enabled by navigating to chrome://plugins and checking for Chrome PDF Viewer, or simply attempt to open a PDF file in Chrome.

Affected if PDF viewer is disabled or unavailable - the specific attack surface is not present, though version still matters for other vulnerabilities

A system is affected if Google Chrome version 21.0.1180.0 through 21.0.1180.38 (or any version <= 21.0.1180.56) is installed with the built-in PDF viewer enabled, as the use-after-free flaw in PDF parsing can be triggered by opening a specially crafted PDF file.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 21.0.1180.56

Interim mitigation

Update Google Chrome to version 21.0.1180.57 or later (for Mac/Linux) and 21.0.1180.60 or later (for Windows/Chrome Frame). Ensure all users in the organization apply the browser update through standard patch management processes.

Fix this in Chrome Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation1.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

6.0 hours of engineering $1,040

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-2852 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-2852?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 21.0.1180.56 or later

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 1.2%

Affects: Chrome

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Chrome 6 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,040

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2012-2852 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References