CVE-2018-6053 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Inappropriate implementation in New Tab Page in Google Chrome prior to 64.0.3282.119 allowed a local attacker to view website thumbnail images after clearing browser data via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6053 represents a critical flaw in Google Chrome's New Tab Page implementation that persisted across multiple versions prior to 64.0.3282.119. This issue falls under the category of improper access control and data persistence, where the browser's mechanism for displaying website thumbnails failed to properly clear cached data when users performed browser data cleanup operations. The vulnerability specifically exploited the gap between user expectations of complete data erasure and the actual implementation of thumbnail caching within Chrome's interface. Attackers could leverage this weakness through a carefully constructed HTML page that would allow them to access thumbnail images of previously visited websites even after the user had cleared their browsing history, cookies, and other temporary data.
The technical implementation flaw stems from Chrome's New Tab Page feature maintaining thumbnail representations of visited websites in a manner that was not properly synchronized with the browser's data clearing functions. When users initiated browser data cleanup operations, the system should have completely purged all cached representations including thumbnail images, but instead retained these visual elements in memory or local storage. This inconsistency created a persistent cache that could be accessed through maliciously crafted web pages that exploited the browser's handling of thumbnail data. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it operated at the interface level rather than the core browser engine, making it less obvious to traditional security scanning mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable sophisticated reconnaissance activities by local attackers. An attacker could construct a webpage that, when loaded, would reveal thumbnail images of previously visited sites, effectively bypassing standard privacy protections that users expect when clearing their browser data. This capability could be leveraged to gather information about a user's browsing habits, visited websites, and potentially even sensitive locations or activities. The attack vector required local access to the victim's machine, making it a privilege escalation vulnerability that could be combined with other local exploits to create more comprehensive attack chains. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure" and CWE-352, covering "Cross-Site Request Forgery" in its broader context of unauthorized data access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6053 centered around immediate browser updates to version 64.0.3282.119 or later, which implemented proper synchronization between data clearing operations and thumbnail cache management. Users were advised to maintain updated browser versions and to exercise caution when visiting untrusted websites, particularly those that might attempt to exploit interface-level caching mechanisms. Security professionals recommended monitoring for suspicious web page behaviors that might attempt to access cached data and implementing network-level controls to prevent access to known malicious domains. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of comprehensive testing for data persistence mechanisms across all browser components, particularly those that operate at the user interface level. Organizations implementing security policies needed to update their browser management procedures to ensure timely patch deployment and to educate users about the importance of maintaining current browser versions to protect against such interface-level vulnerabilities. This incident reinforced the principle that even seemingly innocuous user interface features can contain critical security flaws that require careful attention to data handling and access control mechanisms.