CVE-2009-2541 is a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability affecting the web browser component of the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) console. The issue arises when a remote attacker crafts a malicious web page that manipulates the 'length' property of a Select object (an HTML element representing a dropdown list) by assigning it an excessively large integer value. This causes the browser to consume excessive memory resources, ultimately leading to the console hanging or becoming unresponsive. This vulnerability is related to CVE-2009-1692, which also involves resource exhaustion via malformed Select object properties. The root cause is a lack of proper input validation and bounds checking on the length property, which results in uncontrolled memory allocation. The attack vector is remote and requires no authentication or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious or compromised website. The vulnerability impacts the availability of the PS3 system by causing it to freeze, effectively denying service to the user. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting the ease of exploitation (network attack vector, no privileges or user interaction required) and the significant impact on availability, while confidentiality and integrity remain unaffected. No patches or vendor advisories are listed, and there are no known exploits in the wild documented at this time. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption), indicating that it is a classic resource exhaustion issue triggered by malformed input in web content rendered by the PS3 browser.

For European organizations, the direct impact of this vulnerability is limited due to its specificity to the Sony PS3 gaming console's web browser rather than traditional enterprise IT infrastructure. However, organizations involved in sectors such as gaming, digital entertainment, or those providing public Wi-Fi or internet access where PS3 consoles might be used could see indirect effects. A successful exploitation could disrupt user experience by causing PS3 consoles to hang, potentially impacting gaming lounges, internet cafes, or retail environments that use PS3 consoles for demonstrations or customer engagement. Additionally, if PS3 consoles are used in any operational capacity (e.g., kiosks or digital signage), availability could be compromised. From a broader cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability highlights the risks of embedded web browsers in consumer devices, which could be leveraged as entry points for further attacks or as vectors for denial of service. Although no known exploits are reported, the ease of exploitation and lack of required user interaction mean that malicious actors could deploy drive-by attack pages targeting PS3 users. The impact on confidentiality and integrity is negligible, but availability impact is high, potentially causing service interruptions in affected environments.

Given the absence of official patches or vendor advisories, mitigation should focus on reducing exposure and limiting the attack surface. Specific recommendations include: 1) Restrict or disable access to the PS3 web browser in environments where it is not essential, especially in public or shared settings. 2) Implement network-level filtering to block access to known malicious or untrusted websites that could host exploit pages targeting this vulnerability. 3) Educate users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites on the PS3 browser and encourage cautious browsing habits. 4) Where possible, isolate PS3 consoles on segmented networks to prevent potential lateral impact on critical systems. 5) Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns indicative of exploitation attempts, such as repeated access to pages with suspiciously large Select object manipulations. 6) Consider using web content filtering solutions that can detect and block malformed HTML or scripts exploiting resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. 7) If the PS3 is used in business-critical roles, evaluate alternative devices or platforms with updated and supported browsers. 8) Maintain awareness of any future vendor patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly.