CVE-2017-5028 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient data validation in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 56.0.2924.76 allowed a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5028 represents a critical security flaw in the V8 JavaScript engine that powers Google Chrome and other web applications. This issue stems from inadequate data validation mechanisms within the V8 runtime environment, specifically affecting Chrome versions prior to 56.0.2924.76. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit cross-origin data leakage through carefully crafted HTML pages, potentially compromising user privacy and data integrity across different web domains.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient input validation within V8's handling of cross-origin resources. When Chrome processes HTML pages containing maliciously constructed elements, the V8 engine fails to properly validate data integrity checks, allowing unauthorized access to resources that should be restricted by cross-origin policies. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to bypass security boundaries that normally separate different websites and their respective data contexts. The vulnerability specifically impacts the engine's ability to properly enforce same-origin policy enforcement, which is fundamental to web security architecture.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to users and organizations as it enables sophisticated cross-site data exfiltration attacks. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit the V8 validation gap to access sensitive information from other origins, potentially including cookies, session tokens, user data, and other confidential resources. The remote nature of this attack means that victims need only visit a compromised webpage to be affected, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns, malicious advertising networks, or compromised websites. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy to potentially compromise enterprise security if users access corporate resources through vulnerable browsers.
The security implications of CVE-2017-5028 align with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation," and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript.' The vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient validation in core JavaScript engines can create persistent security weaknesses that affect millions of users. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions and implement additional security measures such as content security policies, strict origin controls, and regular browser updates to mitigate exposure. Network monitoring solutions should also be configured to detect anomalous cross-origin resource access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of robust input validation in web browser engines and the potential consequences of security oversights in foundational software components. The remediation process requires comprehensive browser updates across all affected systems, with additional security controls to protect against similar vulnerabilities in other JavaScript environments. Organizations must maintain vigilant security monitoring and ensure timely deployment of security patches to prevent exploitation of such fundamental browser security flaws.