CVE-2017-5061 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A race condition in navigation in Google Chrome prior to 58.0.3029.81 for Linux, Windows, and Mac allowed a remote attacker to spoof the contents of the Omnibox (URL bar) via a crafted HTML page.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5061 represents a critical race condition flaw in Google Chrome's navigation handling mechanism affecting versions prior to 58.0.3029.81 across Linux, Windows, and Mac platforms. This vulnerability resides within the browser's core navigation system where timing inconsistencies between different execution threads create opportunities for malicious exploitation. The race condition specifically manifests in the interaction between the browser's rendering engine and its navigation components, allowing for temporal discrepancies that can be manipulated by remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper synchronization between the URL processing pipeline and the visual display components of the browser interface. When a malicious HTML page is loaded, the attacker can exploit the timing gap between when the URL is processed internally and when it is displayed in the Omnibox or URL bar. This temporal window enables the attacker to manipulate what appears to be the destination URL while the actual navigation occurs to a different target. The flaw operates at the intersection of browser security boundaries where the user interface elements fail to accurately reflect the underlying navigation state during the processing cycle.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5061 extends beyond simple visual deception to potentially enable sophisticated phishing attacks and credential theft operations. Attackers can craft pages that display a legitimate-looking URL in the Omnibox while simultaneously navigating users to malicious domains, exploiting the trust users place in the browser's address bar. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and user trust in browser security, as it allows attackers to bypass the fundamental security assumption that the URL bar accurately represents the current page location. The attack vector requires no local privileges and can be executed through standard web browsing, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise and consumer environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1056.001 for input injection and T1566 for spearphishing with links. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory browser updates to version 58.0.3029.81 or later, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious navigation patterns, and user education programs to recognize potential phishing attempts. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous URL redirection patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process must also include verification of browser configurations to ensure proper security settings are maintained, as this vulnerability could potentially be exploited in conjunction with other browser-based attacks to create more sophisticated multi-stage exploits.