CVE-2009-3011 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome 1.0.154.48 and earlier, 2.0.172.28, 2.0.172.37, and 3.0.193.2 Beta does not properly block data: URIs in Refresh headers in HTTP responses, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via vectors related to (1) injecting a Refresh header that contains JavaScript sequences in a data:text/html URI or (2) entering a data:text/html URI with JavaScript sequences when specifying the content of a Refresh header. NOTE: the JavaScript executes outside of the context of the HTTP site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-3011 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Google Chrome versions up to 3.0.193.2 Beta that stems from improper handling of data URIs within HTTP Refresh headers. This security weakness specifically affects the browser's content security mechanisms when processing HTTP responses containing Refresh headers that reference data:text/html URIs. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code outside the normal security context of the originating website, creating a significant vector for XSS attacks that bypass traditional web application security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's failure to properly sanitize or block data URIs when they appear in Refresh headers of HTTP responses. When a web server sends an HTTP response containing a Refresh header with a data:text/html URI, Chrome incorrectly processes the JavaScript code contained within that URI without applying the same security restrictions that would normally prevent such execution. This behavior violates the fundamental security principle that content loaded from external sources should be properly sandboxed and validated before execution. The vulnerability manifests in two primary attack vectors: first, when an attacker injects a malicious Refresh header containing JavaScript within a data:text/html URI, and second, when a user manually enters such a URI in a Refresh header context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of any website that might be tricked into including a malicious Refresh header. This allows for session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and the execution of malicious payloads that can persist across multiple browsing sessions. The attack can be particularly insidious because the JavaScript executes outside the normal security boundaries of the HTTP site, meaning that the browser's same-origin policy and other security mechanisms are effectively bypassed. This vulnerability affects the browser's core security architecture and undermines the trust model that users expect when browsing the web.
The flaw aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and demonstrates how improper input validation and output encoding can create security holes in web browsers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1566 for phishing attacks that could leverage this weakness to deliver malicious payloads. The vulnerability also reflects broader concerns about browser sandboxing mechanisms and the proper handling of URI schemes that can contain executable content. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Chrome versions that address this vulnerability, implementing network-level filtering to block suspicious Refresh headers, and educating users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites that might trigger such attacks. Browser vendors should also enhance their URI parsing and validation logic to ensure that data URIs are properly restricted regardless of their context within HTTP headers.