CVE-2019-0608 in Edge
Summary
by MITRE
A spoofing vulnerability exists when Microsoft Browsers does not properly parse HTTP content, aka 'Microsoft Browser Spoofing Vulnerability'. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2019-1357.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-0608 represents a critical spoofing weakness in Microsoft browsers that stems from improper handling of HTTP content parsing mechanisms. This flaw allows attackers to manipulate browser behavior through crafted HTTP responses, potentially leading to misleading user experiences and security risks. The vulnerability specifically affects Microsoft browsers including Internet Explorer and Edge, where the parsing logic fails to adequately validate or sanitize incoming HTTP content before rendering it to users. The issue manifests when browsers encounter malformed or unexpected HTTP headers, content types, or encoding schemes that should normally trigger security warnings or rejection mechanisms but instead cause the browser to process the content in unexpected ways.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient input validation and content parsing routines within Microsoft's browser implementations. When processing HTTP responses, browsers typically perform extensive validation to ensure content integrity and security. However, CVE-2019-0608 demonstrates that Microsoft browsers fail to properly validate certain HTTP content characteristics, allowing attackers to craft malicious responses that bypass normal security checks. This parsing deficiency creates an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate how browsers interpret and display content, potentially leading to user confusion or security deception. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1056.001 for "Input Injection" and T1566.001 for "Phishing" in its operational impact.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content manipulation to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks including credential theft, malicious redirection, and user deception campaigns. Attackers could exploit this weakness to create convincing fake websites or application interfaces that appear legitimate to users, leveraging the browser's improper content handling to display misleading information. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile browser implementations, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users access corporate or sensitive systems through Microsoft browsers. Users may be tricked into believing they are interacting with trusted websites or applications while actually being exposed to malicious content, potentially leading to data breaches, financial loss, or further compromise of systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-0608 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Microsoft, as the company released security updates addressing the specific parsing flaws in affected browser versions. Organizations should implement additional network-level protections including web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious HTTP content patterns, while also considering browser hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary content parsing features or implementing strict content security policies. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis, looking for unusual HTTP header patterns or content encoding that might indicate attempts to leverage this vulnerability. Regular security awareness training for users remains crucial to help identify potentially spoofed content, while implementing multi-factor authentication and other protective controls can reduce the impact if users do fall victim to spoofing attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser security configurations and following security best practices outlined in frameworks such as NIST SP 800-171 for secure browser deployment in enterprise environments.