CVE-2016-9473 in Brave Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Brave Browser iOS before 1.2.18 and Brave Browser Android 1.9.56 and earlier suffer from Full Address Bar Spoofing, allowing attackers to trick a victim by displaying a malicious page for legitimate domain names.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9473 represents a critical security flaw in the Brave Browser mobile implementations across both iOS and Android platforms. This issue affects versions prior to Brave Browser iOS 1.2.18 and Brave Browser Android 1.9.56, where users are exposed to a sophisticated phishing attack vector through full address bar spoofing techniques. The vulnerability exploits the browser's user interface design to create misleading visual representations that can deceive users into believing they are visiting legitimate websites while actually encountering malicious content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from how the browser handles URL display and address bar rendering during page transitions. When a user navigates to a website, the browser's address bar should consistently display the actual domain name and protocol information to maintain user trust and security awareness. However, in affected versions, the browser fails to properly validate or sanitize the URL display mechanism, allowing attackers to manipulate the visual representation of the address bar. This flaw enables malicious actors to craft web pages that display a legitimate domain name in the address bar while actually serving malicious content, effectively bypassing user security expectations and traditional phishing detection methods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user deception to potentially enable sophisticated attack campaigns including credential harvesting, malware distribution, and financial fraud. Users who encounter such spoofed pages may unknowingly enter sensitive information such as login credentials, personal data, or financial details into forms hosted on malicious domains that appear to be legitimate. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the inherent trust users place in their browser's address bar as a security indicator, making it significantly more difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious websites. This vulnerability directly violates security principles related to user interface integrity and trust model implementation, as outlined in the CWE-611 weakness classification for improper access control and CWE-200 information exposure.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1566 credential harvesting through social engineering and T1071 application layer protocol for command and control communications. The attack requires minimal technical expertise from threat actors while providing substantial impact to victims, making it particularly attractive for automated phishing campaigns. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and defense in depth, as the browser should not allow any manipulation of the address bar display that could mislead users about the true nature of the visited website. Security professionals should note that this issue demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining consistent security boundaries across all user interface elements, particularly those that users rely upon for security decisions. Organizations should implement comprehensive mobile security policies that include regular browser updates, user education on phishing detection, and monitoring for suspicious address bar behavior to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate deployment of updated browser versions that properly validate and sanitize URL display mechanisms. Security teams should also implement network-level monitoring to detect suspicious address bar behavior and consider implementing additional user interface security controls such as URL validation warnings and enhanced phishing detection systems. Regular security assessments of mobile browser implementations should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the user interface stack.