CVE-2011-2361 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The Basic Authentication dialog implementation in Google Chrome before 13.0.782.107 does not properly handle strings, which might make it easier for remote attackers to capture credentials via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2361 represents a critical security flaw in the Basic Authentication dialog implementation within Google Chrome browsers prior to version 13.0.782.107. This issue stems from improper handling of strings within the authentication mechanism, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries could exploit to capture user credentials. The flaw specifically affects how Chrome processes authentication dialog strings, potentially allowing malicious websites to manipulate the authentication flow in ways that compromise user security.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and string handling within web browser components. When Chrome encounters a Basic Authentication challenge, it displays a dialog box prompting users for their credentials. The flaw occurs in the string processing logic that handles the authentication realm and other dialog elements, where insufficient validation allows crafted malicious content to be interpreted incorrectly by the browser. This improper string handling creates a condition where attackers can manipulate the dialog presentation or extract information from the authentication process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to users of affected Chrome versions as it enables credential interception attacks through malicious websites. Attackers can craft web pages that exploit the flawed string handling to either capture credentials as they are entered or manipulate the authentication dialog to appear more trustworthy while actually capturing user input. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to potentially enable broader attacks including session hijacking, unauthorized access to protected resources, and privilege escalation within authenticated applications. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where users may access sensitive systems through browser-based authentication mechanisms.
The security implications of CVE-2011-2361 align with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Organizations using affected Chrome versions face heightened risk of successful phishing attacks and credential theft operations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper string handling in security-critical components and highlights the potential for seemingly minor implementation flaws to create significant security risks. Remediation requires immediate updating of Chrome browsers to version 13.0.782.107 or later, which includes fixes for the string handling implementation. Additionally, security teams should monitor for any related attacks targeting this specific vulnerability and implement network-based detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts. The incident underscores the necessity of comprehensive testing for string handling in authentication mechanisms and the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security patches to protect against such credential interception threats.