CVE-2019-13666 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Information leak in storage in Google Chrome prior to 77.0.3865.75 allowed a remote attacker to leak cross-origin data via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw in Google Chrome's storage handling mechanisms that existed prior to version 77.0.3865.75. The issue stems from insufficient cross-origin isolation controls within the browser's storage subsystem, allowing malicious actors to exploit a crafted HTML page to extract sensitive data from different origins. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome's storage APIs and mechanisms that should normally enforce strict origin-based access controls to prevent unauthorized data access between different web domains. This type of information leak represents a fundamental breakdown in the browser's security model, where the isolation boundaries between different origins are compromised, enabling attackers to bypass the same-origin policy enforcement that is critical for web security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves manipulating Chrome's storage APIs through carefully constructed HTML content that exploits race conditions or improper validation of cross-origin requests. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that leverage the browser's storage mechanisms to access data that should be restricted to specific origins. This flaw operates at the intersection of several security domains including web application security, browser sandboxing, and cross-origin resource sharing protocols. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 as an information leak, specifically involving unauthorized information disclosure through improper access control mechanisms. It represents a classic example of how storage-related security flaws can be exploited to bypass fundamental web security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it enables sophisticated attacks that can harvest sensitive user information including cookies, local storage data, session tokens, and potentially personal identification information from other origins. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform cross-site scripting attacks, session hijacking, or credential theft by accessing stored data from compromised websites. The attack vector requires only a victim to visit a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous for phishing campaigns and drive-by download scenarios. This vulnerability directly impacts the browser's ability to maintain secure isolation between different web origins, undermining the trust model that web applications depend upon for user security. The potential for cascading effects means that once an attacker gains access to one website's storage data, they may be able to access related applications or services that share authentication mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve updating to Chrome version 77.0.3865.75 or later, which implements proper cross-origin storage isolation controls and validates origin boundaries more rigorously. Organizations should also implement network-level security measures including web application firewalls and content filtering systems to detect and block malicious HTML content. Browser security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that storage APIs are properly restricted and that appropriate security headers are implemented. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include monitoring for suspicious storage access patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing additional logging and monitoring of browser storage operations to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish baseline behaviors for normal application operation. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper origin isolation in web browsers and the potential consequences when these security boundaries are compromised.