CVE-2014-1748 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
The ScrollView::paint function in platform/scroll/ScrollView.cpp in Blink, as used in Google Chrome before 35.0.1916.114, allows remote attackers to spoof the UI by extending scrollbar painting into the parent frame.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-1748 resides within the Blink rendering engine's ScrollView::paint function, specifically in the platform/scroll/ScrollView.cpp file. This flaw affects Google Chrome versions prior to 35.0.1916.114 and represents a significant UI spoofing vulnerability that exploits the improper handling of scrollbar rendering across frame boundaries. The issue stems from how the scroll view component manages its painting operations, particularly when dealing with scrollbar elements that extend beyond their designated frame boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to manipulate the visual presentation of user interfaces by extending scrollbar painting operations into parent frame contexts. This occurs due to insufficient boundary checking and frame context validation during the painting process. When a webpage contains scrollable content, the Blink engine's scroll view component is responsible for rendering scrollbars and managing their visual boundaries. The flaw manifests when the paint function fails to properly restrict scrollbar rendering to its intended frame, enabling malicious content to draw scroll elements in areas where they should not appear, potentially overlapping with legitimate user interface components of the parent frame.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple visual deception, as it creates opportunities for sophisticated phishing attacks and user interface manipulation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to create convincing fake scrollbars that appear to belong to the legitimate parent frame, potentially misleading users into interacting with malicious elements. The vulnerability operates at the rendering layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be combined with other techniques to create more complex attacks. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the user interface where improper boundary checking leads to unauthorized visual modifications, falling under CWE-699 - Software Fault Pattern.
The attack vector for CVE-2014-1748 typically involves hosting malicious content on a web server that leverages the Blink engine's rendering flaws. When a user visits such a page, the malicious code can manipulate the painting behavior of scrollbars, creating visual artifacts that appear to be part of the browser's native interface. This technique can be particularly effective in social engineering campaigns where attackers seek to make malicious content appear more legitimate. The vulnerability's impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as it involves manipulating the browser's rendering engine to achieve unauthorized visual effects. Security researchers have noted that this type of vulnerability can be leveraged to create more sophisticated attacks when combined with other UI-related exploits, particularly in environments where users interact with multiple frames or iframes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve updating to Chrome version 35.0.1916.114 or later, which includes patches that properly enforce frame boundaries during scrollbar painting operations. Organizations should also implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider additional security measures such as content security policy headers and sandboxing techniques. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper boundary validation in the ScrollView::paint function, ensuring that scrollbar rendering operations remain confined to their respective frame contexts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and boundary checking in UI rendering components, particularly when dealing with complex frame hierarchies. Security professionals should monitor for similar vulnerabilities in other browser components and maintain awareness of the evolving threat landscape related to UI spoofing attacks.