CVE-2013-2916 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 30.0.1599.66, allows remote attackers to spoof the address bar via vectors involving a response with a 204 (aka No Content) status code, in conjunction with a delay in notifying the user of an attempted spoof.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-2916 represents a sophisticated browser security flaw within Google Chrome's Blink rendering engine that enables remote attackers to manipulate the address bar display. This issue specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 30.0.1599.66 and demonstrates a critical weakness in the browser's user interface security mechanisms. The vulnerability exploits the interaction between HTTP response codes and browser notification timing to create a deceptive user experience that can mislead users about the authenticity of web content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on a specific combination of conditions involving HTTP 204 status codes and delayed user notifications. When a malicious server responds with a 204 No Content status code, the browser's rendering engine processes this response in a manner that allows the address bar to display content from a different domain than the actual page being loaded. This occurs because the browser's address bar update mechanism operates with a delay that can be exploited to present misleading information to users. The vulnerability essentially creates a window where the browser's address bar displays one URL while the actual content being rendered comes from another location, effectively enabling a form of UI redressing attack.
This flaw has significant operational impact on user security and trust within the browser environment. Users may be deceived into believing they are visiting a legitimate website when they are actually interacting with malicious content, potentially leading to credential theft, phishing attacks, or other forms of social engineering exploitation. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of several security domains including web protocol handling, user interface security, and browser sandboxing mechanisms. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a relatively low-effort method to compromise user trust and potentially escalate attacks. The issue is particularly concerning because address bar spoofing is one of the most effective techniques for phishing attacks, as users often rely heavily on address bar information to validate website authenticity.
The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-601 as URL Redirector Abuse, specifically involving address bar spoofing and UI redressing attacks. It also relates to ATT&CK technique T1056.001 which covers Input Injection, particularly in how the attack manipulates user interface elements to deceive the victim. The flaw demonstrates a weakness in Chrome's security model where the timing of user interface updates creates an exploitable gap between when content is processed and when users are notified of changes. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user interaction layer rather than at the network protocol level, making it more difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches. The delay in notification mechanism that enables this vulnerability is a critical design flaw that allows attackers to time their malicious responses to exploit this window of opportunity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate browser updates to patched versions that correct the timing and notification mechanisms in the Blink engine. Users should ensure their Chrome browsers are updated to version 30.0.1599.66 or later, which includes patches that address the specific race condition between HTTP response handling and address bar updates. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider additional security measures such as browser security extensions that provide enhanced protection against UI manipulation attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of considering user interface security in addition to traditional network and code-level security measures, as even seemingly benign browser behaviors can be exploited to create dangerous security conditions. Security teams should also monitor for similar timing-based vulnerabilities in other browser components and consider implementing more robust user interface validation mechanisms.