CVE-2018-16079 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A race condition between permission prompts and navigations in Prompts in Google Chrome prior to 69.0.3497.81 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 • 06/23/2023
The vulnerability CVE-2018-16079 represents a critical race condition flaw in Google Chrome's handling of permission prompts and navigation operations. This issue existed in Chrome versions prior to 69.0.3497.81 and exploited the timing discrepancy between when permission prompts are displayed and when navigation occurs within the browser's user interface. The flaw specifically targeted the Omnibox component which serves as the primary address bar interface for web navigation and security indicators. Attackers could manipulate this race condition to create deceptive user experiences that misleadingly displayed false information within the browser's address bar.
The technical execution of this vulnerability relies on the fundamental timing issue between asynchronous operations in Chrome's rendering and security subsystems. When a user visits a malicious website, the attacker can trigger a permission prompt while simultaneously initiating navigation to a different URL. Due to the race condition, the browser's Omnibox may display content from the navigation target while still showing the permission prompt from the original context. This creates a situation where users see a legitimate-looking URL in the address bar while the actual navigation is being processed through a different code path. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of browser security model implementation and user interface synchronization mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16079 extends beyond simple phishing attacks to encompass sophisticated social engineering campaigns. Attackers could craft HTML pages that display deceptive URLs in the Omnibox while executing malicious actions in the background, making it extremely difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious websites. This vulnerability directly undermines user trust in browser security indicators and can be leveraged for credential theft, malware distribution, and data exfiltration. The attack vector requires no local privileges and can be executed through standard web browsing, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise and consumer environments where users frequently access untrusted websites.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-367 which specifically addresses Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) race conditions in security-critical operations. The flaw demonstrates how improper synchronization between user interface updates and security context management can create exploitable conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1566 (Phishing) techniques, as it enables more effective phishing campaigns by making malicious URLs appear legitimate. The vulnerability also relates to T1557 (Adversary-in-the-Middle) as it allows attackers to manipulate the user's perception of network traffic and destination. Organizations should implement immediate patch management protocols to address this vulnerability, as Chrome version 69.0.3497.81 and later versions contain the necessary fixes. Additionally, browser hardening measures including restricted permissions and enhanced security policies should be implemented to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in security-critical components and highlights the need for comprehensive testing of race condition scenarios in browser security implementations.