CVE-2011-1190 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The Web Workers implementation in Google Chrome before 10.0.648.127 allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy via unspecified vectors, related to an "error message leak."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1190 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's Web Workers implementation that existed prior to version 10.0.648.127. This issue specifically targets the browser's Same Origin Policy enforcement mechanism, which serves as a fundamental security boundary in web applications. The Same Origin Policy prevents scripts from one origin from accessing resources or data from another origin, thereby protecting users from cross-site scripting attacks and data leakage. The vulnerability manifests through what researchers termed "error message leak" vectors, indicating that sensitive information may be inadvertently exposed through error messages generated during Web Workers execution.
Web Workers are a web standard that enables scripts to run in background threads, separate from the main user interface thread, allowing for concurrent execution of JavaScript code. Chrome's implementation of this feature was designed to provide developers with a mechanism for performing computationally intensive tasks without blocking the user interface. However, the flaw in the implementation allowed malicious actors to exploit the error handling mechanisms within Web Workers to bypass the security boundaries that should prevent cross-origin access. This represents a significant deviation from the expected behavior of the Same Origin Policy, which is a cornerstone of web security architecture and is classified under CWE-284 Access Control in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it fundamentally undermines the browser's security model for web applications. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to access data from different origins that should normally be restricted, including sensitive information from third-party websites or internal network resources that might be accessed through web-based interfaces. The error message leak aspect suggests that the vulnerability may expose internal implementation details or memory addresses that could be used to further exploit the system or craft more sophisticated attacks. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in the context of the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, as it could enable attackers to move laterally within a network by accessing resources they should not be able to reach.
The mitigation for this vulnerability required immediate patching of Chrome's Web Workers implementation to properly enforce the Same Origin Policy. Users were advised to update to Chrome version 10.0.648.127 or later, which contained the necessary fixes to address the error message leak vectors. Security researchers recommended that organizations monitor for this vulnerability and ensure all users of Chrome browsers are running patched versions. The fix likely involved strengthening the error handling mechanisms within Web Workers to prevent sensitive information from being exposed through error messages, while maintaining the legitimate functionality of the Web Workers API. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper error handling in security-critical components and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can have significant security implications in web browsers. The incident also underscores the need for continuous security auditing of web standards implementations, particularly those that handle cross-origin operations, as these components form critical parts of the browser's security architecture.