CVE-2018-6103 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
A stagnant permission prompt in Prompts in Google Chrome prior to 66.0.3359.106 allowed a remote attacker to bypass permission policy via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6103 represents a critical permission bypass flaw in Google Chrome versions prior to 66.0.3359.106. This issue stems from a stagnant permission prompt mechanism that fails to properly validate user consent when requesting device permissions. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious actor crafts a specially designed HTML page that exploits the inconsistent behavior of Chrome's permission handling system. The root cause lies in the browser's failure to properly manage the state of permission prompts, allowing attackers to manipulate the permission flow and potentially gain unauthorized access to device features.
This security weakness directly relates to CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session management, and specifically targets the browser's permission policy enforcement mechanism. The vulnerability operates through a sophisticated attack vector that leverages the browser's inconsistent handling of permission requests, particularly when dealing with persistent or repeated permission prompts. Attackers can craft HTML pages that exploit the timing and state management issues in Chrome's permission system, enabling them to bypass normal security controls that should prevent unauthorized access to device capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission bypass, as it can potentially allow attackers to access sensitive device features such as camera, microphone, location services, and other hardware resources without proper user consent. This represents a significant threat to user privacy and system security, as it undermines the fundamental security model that browsers employ to protect users from unauthorized access to their devices. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can leverage this flaw through web-based attacks without requiring local system access or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6103 primarily involve updating to Google Chrome version 66.0.3359.106 or later, which includes fixes for the permission prompt handling mechanism. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and ensure that all systems are running patched versions of Chrome. Additionally, security administrators should consider implementing network-level protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to prevent access to known malicious sites. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current browser security practices and regularly reviewing permission policies. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence through browser-based attacks, emphasizing the need for layered security approaches that include user education and network monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts.