CVE-2008-4198 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 9.52, when rendering an http page that has loaded an https page into a frame, displays a padlock icon and offers a security information dialog reporting a secure connection, which might allow remote attackers to trick a user into performing unsafe actions on the http page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
This vulnerability exists in opera web browsers version 9.52 and earlier, where the browser fails to properly distinguish between http and https content when rendering pages that load https resources within frames. The technical flaw stems from improper security state management within the browser's rendering engine, specifically in how it handles mixed content scenarios where secure and insecure resources are combined. When an http page loads an https page into a frame, the browser incorrectly maintains the secure connection state, leading to a misleading security indicator.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables phishing attacks and social engineering exploits. Attackers can craft malicious http pages that load legitimate https content such as bank login forms or corporate portals, causing the browser to display a padlock icon and security information dialog indicating a secure connection. This false sense of security can deceive users into entering sensitive information on insecure http pages, as the browser interface suggests the entire page is protected. The vulnerability specifically affects user trust mechanisms and security warnings that are fundamental to web browser security models.
This issue relates to multiple cybersecurity concepts including CWE-611 Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, CWE-310 Cryptographic Issues, and CWE-200 Information Exposure. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566.001 Phishing, T1562.001 Impairing Defenses, and T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol. The security flaw represents a failure in proper content security policy enforcement and mixed content handling, where the browser should have clearly indicated that the page was not fully secure due to the presence of insecure http resources.
The mitigation strategy requires updating to opera version 9.52 or later, which properly handles mixed content scenarios. Organizations should implement additional security measures including content security policies, strict mixed content blocking, and user education about security indicators. Browser security policies should enforce strict checks for mixed content and ensure that security indicators accurately reflect the true security state of web pages. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and alerting for suspicious mixed content loading patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.