CVE-2012-1928 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 11.62 allows remote attackers to spoof the address field by triggering a page reload followed by a redirect to a different domain.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1928 represents a significant web browser security flaw in Opera versions prior to 11.62 that enabled sophisticated phishing attacks through address bar spoofing. This vulnerability exploited a fundamental trust mechanism within the browser's user interface, specifically targeting the address field that users rely upon to verify website authenticity. The flaw occurred when a malicious actor could manipulate the browser's rendering behavior during page transitions, creating an environment where legitimate-looking URLs could be concealed or misrepresented to users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involved a specific sequence of browser events that created a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit. When a page underwent a reload operation followed by an immediate redirect to a different domain, Opera's address field display logic failed to properly update or validate the URL being presented to users. This created a race condition where the browser momentarily displayed the original URL while simultaneously processing the redirect, allowing attackers to craft scenarios where users might be deceived into believing they were visiting a trusted domain when in fact they were navigating to a malicious site. The vulnerability specifically targeted the browser's handling of navigation events and address bar updates during dynamic page reload scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-1928 was substantial as it provided attackers with a method to bypass critical user interface security measures that users depend upon for website verification. This vulnerability could be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors to create convincing phishing scenarios where users would not notice the URL change until after they had already entered sensitive information. The attack required minimal user interaction beyond normal browsing behavior, making it particularly dangerous in real-world scenarios. Security researchers classified this as a user interface deception vulnerability that undermined the fundamental trust model of web browsers, where users rely on address bar information to make security decisions about their online activities.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability needed to implement immediate mitigations including updating to Opera version 11.62 or later, which contained the necessary patches to address the race condition in address field rendering. Browser vendors typically categorize such issues under CWE-611 Information Exposure Through Modification, as the vulnerability exposed users to misleading information that could result in unauthorized data disclosure. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack pattern catalog where adversaries exploit browser rendering inconsistencies to deceive users into trusting malicious content. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and state management in browser security implementations, as it highlighted how timing-sensitive operations could create security gaps in user interface elements that are critical for security awareness. Users should have been advised to avoid clicking on suspicious links and to always verify domain names manually, particularly when navigating to sensitive websites where financial or personal data might be entered.