CVE-2016-5189 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Google Chrome prior to 54.0.2840.59 for Windows, Mac, and Linux; 54.0.2840.85 for Android permitted navigation to blob URLs with non-canonical origins, which allowed a remote attacker to spoof the contents of the Omnibox (URL bar) via crafted HTML pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5189 represents a significant security flaw in Google Chrome browsers across multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. This issue stems from the browser's handling of blob URLs and their origin validation mechanisms, specifically when dealing with non-canonical origins. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the browser's user interface in a manner that can deceive users about the actual source of web content they are viewing.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper validation of blob URL origins within Chrome's security framework. When a browser encounters a blob URL, it should verify that the origin of the content matches the expected canonical form. However, Chrome's implementation failed to properly canonicalize these origins, allowing attackers to craft HTML pages that present blob URLs with manipulated origin information. This weakness specifically affects how Chrome handles navigation to blob URLs, creating a scenario where the browser's Omnibox display can be spoofed to show misleading information to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple visual deception, as it enables sophisticated phishing attacks and content spoofing scenarios. Attackers can exploit this flaw to make malicious content appear as if it originates from legitimate websites, potentially leading to credential theft, data exfiltration, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability affects all versions of Chrome prior to the patched releases, making it particularly dangerous as it impacts a large user base across multiple operating systems and device types. Users interacting with maliciously crafted HTML pages could be deceived into believing they are visiting trusted websites when they are actually viewing content from untrusted sources.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and demonstrates how browser security mechanisms can be bypassed through subtle implementation flaws in URL handling and origin validation. The attack vector leverages the ATT&CK technique T1056.001, which involves input injection through crafted web content, and T1566, which encompasses social engineering techniques using malicious content delivery. The flaw essentially creates a trust boundary violation within the browser's security model, where the user interface elements that should provide security assurance become unreliable due to the spoofing capability. Organizations should prioritize updating Chrome installations to versions 54.0.2840.59 for desktop platforms and 54.0.2840.85 for Android, as these releases contain the necessary patches to address the canonical origin validation issue and restore proper browser security behavior.
The remediation approach requires immediate deployment of the patched Chrome versions across all affected systems. Security administrators should also consider implementing additional browser security measures such as content security policies and enhanced user education about recognizing potentially malicious content. Regular security assessments should verify that browser updates are properly applied and that no legacy versions remain in use. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust URL canonicalization in browser security implementations and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in origin validation can have significant security implications for user trust and data protection.