CVE-2019-10875 in Mi Browser
Summary
by MITRE
A URL spoofing vulnerability was found in all international versions of Xiaomi Mi browser 10.5.6-g (aka the MIUI native browser) and Mint Browser 1.5.3 due to the way they handle the "q" query parameter. The portion of an https URL before the ?q= substring is not shown to the user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical URL spoofing flaw that affects the user interface and security perception of two popular mobile browsers. The issue manifests specifically in Xiaomi Mi browser version 10.5.6-g and Mint Browser version 1.5.3 where the browsers fail to properly display the complete URL to users when processing search queries through the q parameter. This design flaw creates a dangerous misrepresentation of web addresses that can deceive users into believing they are visiting legitimate websites when they are actually navigating to malicious domains. The vulnerability stems from how these browsers handle the query string parameter q, which is commonly used by search engines and web applications to pass search terms and other data. When a user enters a URL containing a q parameter, the browser truncates the display to show only the portion of the URL that appears before the question mark and q parameter, effectively hiding the actual domain name and protocol information from the user interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and CWE-1021, which address URL redirection and spoofing issues in web applications and browsers. This flaw operates at the user interface level rather than at the protocol or network stack, making it particularly insidious because it exploits the trust users place in their browser's address bar display. The operational impact extends beyond simple deception, as this vulnerability can be leveraged for phishing attacks, credential theft, and other malicious activities where attackers craft URLs that appear legitimate but actually redirect to harmful destinations. The security implications are particularly severe in mobile environments where users may not carefully inspect URLs or may be less familiar with detecting such subtle spoofing techniques. Attackers can craft malicious URLs that display as trusted domains while actually pointing to phishing or malware distribution sites, potentially leading to significant financial loss, identity theft, or system compromise.
The vulnerability creates a direct path for social engineering attacks and can be easily exploited by threat actors who understand how to craft deceptive URLs that appear legitimate to the average user. Mobile browser users are particularly vulnerable because they often rely on visual cues from the address bar to determine website legitimacy, and the browser's failure to display the complete URL creates a false sense of security. This flaw also impacts the browser's security model by undermining user trust in the address bar as a reliable indicator of website authenticity. The issue demonstrates a fundamental flaw in user interface security design where the presentation layer fails to maintain the principle of least privilege in information display. Organizations and security professionals should consider this vulnerability when assessing mobile browser security posture, particularly in enterprise environments where users may be targeted through sophisticated phishing campaigns that exploit such display inconsistencies. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and URL parsing in browser implementations, as it represents a failure in the browser's URL rendering logic that should ensure complete and accurate display of web addresses to users.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate browser updates from vendors, user education about URL verification practices, and implementation of additional security layers such as URL filtering and security extensions. Users should be trained to verify complete URLs even when they appear legitimate in the browser address bar, and organizations should consider implementing network-level protections to detect and block suspicious URL patterns. The vulnerability also underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of user interface elements, particularly in mobile applications where visual presentation can be manipulated to mislead users. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts that leverage this flaw and ensure that browser security policies include checks for display consistency and URL integrity verification.