CVE-2017-5067 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
An insufficient watchdog timer 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5067 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's navigation handling mechanism that existed prior to version 58.0.3029.81 across multiple operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS. This issue stems from an insufficient watchdog timer implementation within Chrome's navigation system, which creates a window of opportunity for remote attackers to manipulate the browser's user interface elements. The vulnerability specifically targets the Omnibox component, which serves as the primary URL input and display area in the browser interface, making it a high-value target for phishing and social engineering attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a crafted HTML page that manipulates the browser's navigation flow in such a way that the watchdog timer fails to properly validate or reset the Omnibox content during page transitions. This allows attackers to inject malicious content or alter the displayed URL in a manner that can deceive users into believing they are visiting legitimate websites when they are actually interacting with malicious content. The watchdog timer mechanism is designed to prevent certain types of navigation hijacking by monitoring and controlling how URLs are processed and displayed, but the insufficient implementation leaves gaps that can be exploited.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple URL spoofing to potentially enable sophisticated phishing attacks where users might be tricked into entering sensitive information on fake websites that appear legitimate due to the manipulated Omnibox display. This type of attack falls under the broader category of user interface deception techniques and can be particularly dangerous in environments where users rely on visual cues for website verification. The vulnerability affects all supported operating systems, making it a cross-platform threat that requires immediate attention from security administrators and users alike.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-690, which addresses weak validation of untrusted inputs, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for operating system commands and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The insufficient watchdog timer implementation represents a failure in input validation and output sanitization processes, creating a path for attackers to manipulate browser behavior through crafted web content. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface that includes browser-based deception techniques and should implement layered defenses including browser updates, user education, and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-5067 primarily focus on immediate browser updates to versions 58.0.3029.81 or later where the watchdog timer implementation has been corrected. Additionally, organizations should implement browser hardening policies that restrict access to potentially malicious websites through content filtering solutions and maintain comprehensive monitoring of browser behavior for unusual navigation patterns. User awareness training should emphasize the importance of verifying URLs even when the browser interface appears normal, as this vulnerability specifically targets the visual trust indicators that users rely upon for website verification. Network security controls including web proxies and firewalls should be configured to monitor for suspicious HTML content that might attempt to exploit similar timing-based vulnerabilities in browser implementations.