CVE-2001-0874 in Internet Explorer
Summary
by MITRE
Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0 allow remote attackers to read certain files via HTML that passes information from a frame in the client s domain to a frame in the web site s domain, a variant of the "Frame Domain Verification" vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2017
This vulnerability represents a cross-domain security flaw in internet explorer versions 5.5 and 6.0 that exploits the frame domain verification mechanism. The issue occurs when html content attempts to pass information between frames belonging to different domains, specifically where one frame operates under the client's domain context while another operates within the website's domain context. This creates an unexpected information leakage channel that violates the fundamental security principle of domain isolation. The vulnerability falls under the category of cross-site scripting attacks and specifically relates to the improper handling of frame communication boundaries that should normally be enforced by browser security policies.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the manipulation of html frame elements to establish communication pathways between different security domains. When internet explorer processes html containing frame elements that reference resources from different domains, the browser fails to properly enforce domain verification checks during the frame communication process. This allows malicious html content to potentially access or read files that should normally be restricted to the client's domain context. The vulnerability specifically exploits the frame domain verification mechanism that should normally prevent such cross-domain access but fails to properly validate the security boundaries between different frame contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables remote attackers to potentially access sensitive files or data that should remain protected within the client's domain context. Attackers can craft malicious html content that, when viewed in vulnerable internet explorer versions, can exploit this frame domain verification flaw to read files from the local system or access information that should be restricted to the web site's domain. This creates a potential information disclosure threat where attackers can gain unauthorized access to local resources and sensitive data that would normally be protected by standard browser security mechanisms. The vulnerability essentially undermines the browser's security model by allowing unauthorized cross-domain data transfer.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve updating to patched versions of internet explorer that properly enforce domain verification checks for frame communication. Microsoft released security updates that address this specific frame domain verification flaw by strengthening the validation mechanisms that govern how frames from different domains interact with each other. Organizations should also implement proper web application security measures including content security policies and frame busting techniques to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, users should avoid visiting untrusted websites that may contain malicious html content designed to exploit this vulnerability, and browser security settings should be configured to minimize potential attack surface exposure. This vulnerability is categorized under cwe-200 information exposure and relates to attack techniques involving cross-site scripting and information leakage through improper access controls.