CVE-2017-5046 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
V8 in Google Chrome prior to 57.0.2987.98 for Mac, Windows, and Linux and 57.0.2987.108 for Android had insufficient policy enforcement, which allowed a remote attacker to spoof the location object via a crafted HTML page, related to Blink information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5046 resides within the V8 JavaScript engine component of Google Chrome browsers across multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure issue that stems from inadequate policy enforcement mechanisms within the Blink rendering engine's handling of location objects. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 57.0.2987.98 for desktop platforms and 57.0.2987.108 for Android systems, creating a significant attack surface for remote adversaries seeking to exploit browser security boundaries.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient validation and enforcement of security policies governing how location objects are handled within the browser's JavaScript execution environment. When a malicious actor crafts a specially designed HTML page, the vulnerability allows them to manipulate or spoof the location object in ways that bypass normal security restrictions. This occurs because the V8 engine fails to properly enforce the security policies that should prevent unauthorized modification of location properties, particularly those related to the document's current URL, protocol, host, and port information. The flaw essentially creates a pathway for attackers to inject or alter location data that would normally be restricted to legitimate browser operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables sophisticated phishing attacks and location-based deception techniques. Remote attackers can craft malicious web pages that manipulate the location object to appear as if they are operating from trusted domains or locations, potentially fooling users into believing they are interacting with legitimate websites. This spoofing capability undermines fundamental web security assumptions about location integrity and can be leveraged to bypass security controls that depend on accurate location information for access decisions. The vulnerability particularly affects user trust mechanisms and could enable attackers to perform credential harvesting or data exfiltration attacks by making malicious pages appear more legitimate than they actually are.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-215 (Information Exposure Through Debugging Code) categories, while also demonstrating characteristics of techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1056.001 (Input Injection) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS). The insufficient policy enforcement represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where the JavaScript engine should have restricted access to location properties but failed to maintain proper security boundaries. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Chrome versions to address this vulnerability, as the attack surface remains significant given the widespread use of Chrome across enterprise and consumer environments. Additionally, browser security configurations should include monitoring for anomalous location object behavior and implementation of additional security layers such as Content Security Policy headers to mitigate potential exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.