CVE-2016-1658 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
The Extensions subsystem in Google Chrome before 50.0.2661.75 incorrectly relies on GetOrigin method calls for origin comparisons, which allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and obtain sensitive information via a crafted extension.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1658 represents a critical security flaw within Google Chrome's extensions subsystem that fundamentally undermines the browser's core security model. This issue affects Chrome versions prior to 50.0.2661.75 and stems from an improper implementation of origin comparison mechanisms within the browser's extension architecture. The flaw specifically resides in how the GetOrigin method is utilized for validating cross-origin requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to circumvent essential web security boundaries that separate different origins and protect user data.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the Extensions subsystem's reliance on an insufficiently robust origin validation method. When Chrome processes extension requests, it should enforce strict Same Origin Policy compliance to prevent unauthorized access between different web origins. However, the GetOrigin method implementation fails to properly validate origin boundaries, allowing attackers to craft malicious extensions that can bypass these critical security checks. This weakness creates a scenario where an extension can make requests to resources on different origins while appearing to be from the same origin, effectively breaking the isolation that should exist between different web entities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute sophisticated cross-origin information disclosure attacks. An attacker could develop a malicious browser extension that appears legitimate to the user while simultaneously exploiting this flaw to access sensitive data from other origins. The implications extend beyond simple data theft to potentially include session hijacking, credential exposure, and access to private user information across different websites. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trusted extension model, making it more likely for users to inadvertently grant permissions to malicious extensions that can then exploit this vulnerability.
The security impact of CVE-2016-1658 aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how weaknesses in access control mechanisms can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized data access. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1176, which covers the use of browser extensions for persistence and privilege escalation. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor within Chrome's extension architecture that allows attackers to maintain unauthorized access to user data across different web origins. Organizations and users who relied on Chrome extensions for various tasks faced significant risk, as the vulnerability could be exploited through seemingly benign extension installations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Chrome to version 50.0.2661.75 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly implement origin validation mechanisms. Security administrators should also implement strict extension review processes, limiting extension installations to trusted sources only, and regularly audit installed extensions for suspicious behavior. Browser vendors and security teams should monitor for similar issues in other browser components and consider implementing additional validation layers to prevent similar origin comparison flaws. The vulnerability underscores the importance of rigorous security testing for browser components that handle cross-origin operations and the need for comprehensive origin validation in web security architectures.