Cutting and pasting that into a simple HTML file gets IE to crash as soon as its opened. IE version: 6.0.2800.1106 > -----Original Message----- > From: arachnid__notdot_net@meta.net.nz > [mailto:arachnid__notdot_net@meta.net.nz] > Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 12:43 AM > To: bugtraq@securityfocus.com > Subject: New IE crash: CSS + HTML > > While designing a page today, I stumbled across a combination of HTML and > CSS > that causes IE (6.0.2600.0000 on 2k v5.00.2195 and 6.0.3790 on 2k3 server > v5.2.3790 are the only versions tested so far) to crash with a GPF. After > a > little work, I distilled the required code down to this: > > ----------------------------------------- > <html> > <body> > <style type="text/css"> > #three { > position: absolute; > } > #one #two { > position: absolute; > } > </style> > <div id="one"> > In 'one' > <span id="two"> > In 'two' > </div> > <div id="three"> > In 'three' > </div> > </body> > ----------------------------------------- > > A bit of experimentation revealed the following: > The tag with id "one" can be any tag that is 'display: block' by default. > The tag with id "two" can be any tag that is 'display: inline' by default. > The tag with id "three" can be any tag at all, including non container > tags such > as img. > The tag with id "two" _must_ be left unclosed. > The selector must be "#one #two", simply selecting on #two does not work. > > I'll be the first to admit that this is a bit obscure (though I came > across it > by accident) - it seems to have something to do with opening an absolutely > positioned block tag after an absolutely positioned inline tag wasn't > closed > properly, but is more complicated than that. > In windows 2000, it also crashed explorer when I clicked on the file in in > a > file dialog (due to the auto-preview). > > A brief look at a debugger on the crashed IE instance reveals that the > address > it crashes at is a RET instruction. > > I leave it up to people with more talent than I to refine when it occurs > and why ;). > > -Nick Johnson
