CVE-2011-3388 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 11.51 allows remote attackers to cause an insecure site to appear secure or trusted via unspecified actions related to Extended Validation and loading content from trusted sources in an unspecified sequence that causes the address field and page information dialog to contain security information based on the trusted site, instead of the insecure site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-3388 represents a critical security flaw in Opera web browsers prior to version 11.51 that undermines the fundamental trust mechanisms designed to protect users from malicious websites. This issue specifically targets the browser's handling of Extended Validation (EV) certificates and the sequential loading of content from different security contexts, creating a dangerous scenario where users may be deceived into believing they are interacting with a secure website when they are actually communicating with an insecure one. The flaw exploits the browser's certificate validation and display logic, particularly when dealing with mixed content scenarios where trusted and untrusted resources are loaded in a specific sequence. The vulnerability falls under the category of certificate confusion or trust relationship manipulation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious site manages to manipulate the browser's security indicators through a carefully orchestrated sequence of actions involving content loading from trusted sources. When an insecure site loads content from a trusted source in an unspecified but exploitable sequence, the browser's address bar and page information dialog incorrectly display security information associated with the trusted site rather than the actual insecure site. This misrepresentation creates a false sense of security for users who may be prompted to enter sensitive information on what they believe to be a secure connection, while the underlying connection remains vulnerable to interception or manipulation. The flaw essentially allows for a form of certificate hijacking where the browser's security UI becomes misleading due to improper state management during mixed-content loading operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users who rely on visual security indicators to make decisions about their online activities. Attackers can exploit this flaw by creating malicious websites that appear secure to users, potentially leading to credential theft, financial fraud, or data exfiltration. The impact extends beyond simple phishing attacks since users may trust the visual security indicators provided by the browser's address bar and security dialog, even when the connection is compromised. This vulnerability undermines the core security model of web browsers by allowing attackers to manipulate the user's perception of security status, which aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Masquerading" and "Phishing" within the credential access and initial access domains. The vulnerability particularly affects users who depend on EV certificates for identifying trustworthy websites, as the security indicators become unreliable.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Opera version 11.51 or later, which includes fixes for the certificate validation and security indicator display logic. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as network monitoring to detect anomalous content loading patterns and user education about the importance of verifying security indicators beyond visual cues. Browser vendors should ensure proper state management during mixed-content scenarios and maintain strict separation between security contexts when loading resources from different trust levels. Security professionals should monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability through network traffic analysis and browser security logs, as the attack may manifest as unusual content loading sequences or unexpected security indicator changes. The fix implemented in Opera 11.51 likely addresses the improper sequence handling during content loading and ensures that security indicators accurately reflect the actual security status of the connection rather than being influenced by content loaded from trusted sources.