CVE-2007-3143 in Konqueror
Summary
by MITRE
Visual truncation vulnerability in Konqueror 3.5.5 allows remote attackers to spoof the address bar and possibly conduct phishing attacks via a long hostname, which is truncated after a certain number of characters, as demonstrated by a phishing attack using HTTP Basic Authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-3143 represents a critical visual spoofing issue within Konqueror web browser version 3.5.5 that enables remote attackers to manipulate the address bar display through strategic hostname manipulation. This flaw exploits the browser's handling of excessively long hostnames that exceed the display capacity of the address bar, resulting in visual truncation that can deceive users into believing they are visiting a legitimate website when in fact they are interacting with a malicious entity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the browser's inadequate handling of hostname display logic where hostnames exceeding a predetermined character limit are visually truncated within the address bar interface. When a malicious actor crafts a long hostname that surpasses the visible display area, the browser truncates the address bar content in a manner that obscures the actual domain information while potentially displaying only a portion of the malicious domain. This truncation behavior creates a window of opportunity for attackers to construct hostnames that, when truncated, appear to match legitimate domains, thereby enabling sophisticated phishing attacks that exploit user trust in the browser's address bar.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple visual deception to encompass serious security implications for user authentication and data protection. The demonstration of this vulnerability through HTTP Basic Authentication phishing attacks highlights the potential for attackers to harvest user credentials by making victims believe they are accessing legitimate services. This attack vector particularly targets the fundamental security assumption that users trust the address bar as an authenticator of website identity, undermining the browser's role as a security boundary between users and potentially malicious web content.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 URL Redirection to Untrusted Site and CWE-346 Origin Validation Error, as it represents a failure in proper origin validation and URL representation that allows attackers to manipulate user perception of website authenticity. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 Credential Access through Social Engineering, as it enables sophisticated phishing campaigns that rely on visual deception to manipulate user behavior. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor display handling issues can create significant security risks when they interact with user trust mechanisms and authentication flows.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate browser-level fixes and broader security awareness measures. Browser vendors must implement proper hostname display handling that prevents visual truncation of critical domain information, ensuring that users can always see the complete origin of web content. Additionally, implementing mechanisms to warn users about truncated hostnames or automatically detecting suspicious hostname patterns would provide additional protection layers. Users should be educated about the importance of verifying complete URLs, particularly when authentication is required, and should be trained to recognize potential phishing attempts that exploit visual display anomalies. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining security in user interface elements where trust assumptions are fundamental to the browser's security model, requiring continuous attention to how display logic can inadvertently create security weaknesses.