CVE-2019-13682 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient policy enforcement in external protocol handling in Google Chrome prior to 77.0.3865.75 allowed a remote attacker to bypass same origin policy via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13682 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's handling of external protocol requests that existed prior to version 77.0.3865.75. This issue stems from insufficient policy enforcement mechanisms that govern how the browser processes external protocol handlers, which are typically used to launch applications or services outside the browser environment. The vulnerability specifically affects the same origin policy implementation, which is a fundamental security mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized access to resources based on their origin.
The technical flaw manifests when a malicious attacker crafts a specially designed HTML page that exploits the inadequate validation of external protocol handlers. This allows the attacker to bypass the same origin policy restrictions that normally prevent web pages from accessing resources from different origins. The vulnerability occurs because Chrome fails to properly validate or restrict the execution of external protocol handlers when they are invoked through crafted web content. This improper handling enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands or access resources that should otherwise be restricted by the browser's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides remote attackers with the capability to circumvent core browser security protections without requiring user interaction or privilege escalation. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute malicious external protocols that may lead to system compromise, data exfiltration, or unauthorized access to local resources. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to bypass the security boundaries that separate different origins, potentially enabling them to access sensitive information or execute unauthorized operations on the victim's system. This type of attack falls under the category of cross-origin resource access violations that can be exploited for various malicious purposes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of Chrome installations to version 77.0.3865.75 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the policy enforcement mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as restricting external protocol handlers through browser configuration policies, disabling unnecessary protocol handlers, and monitoring for suspicious external protocol usage. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-693, which covers protection mechanism failures, and maps to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion through browser-based attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and network monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.