CVE-2019-13692 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient policy enforcement in reader mode in Google Chrome prior to 77.0.3865.75 allowed a remote attacker to bypass site isolation via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13692 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's implementation of reader mode functionality. This issue stems from insufficient policy enforcement mechanisms that govern how Chrome handles content isolation between different websites. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 77.0.3865.75, where the browser's site isolation protections were inadequate to prevent cross-site data leakage. Reader mode is designed to present web content in a simplified, distraction-free format by stripping away advertisements and navigation elements while maintaining the core article content. However, the flaw allows malicious actors to craft specially constructed HTML pages that can exploit weaknesses in Chrome's security boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the browser's failure to properly enforce security policies when processing content in reader mode. When Chrome renders content through its reader mode feature, it should maintain strict isolation between different origins to prevent malicious code from accessing data from other websites. The flaw occurs because the security controls that normally enforce these boundaries are bypassed when reader mode processes certain HTML constructs. This allows an attacker to craft HTML pages that can manipulate Chrome's rendering engine to access or manipulate content from different domains, effectively circumventing the site isolation protections that are fundamental to modern browser security architectures. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of web content rendering and security boundary enforcement, creating a pathway for remote code execution or data exfiltration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it represents a significant bypass of Chrome's core security architecture. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute cross-site scripting attacks, steal session cookies, or access sensitive user data from other websites that the user might have visited. The remote nature of the attack means that users could be compromised simply by visiting a malicious website or clicking on a link that triggers the exploit. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model that Chrome employs to isolate different websites and their associated processes, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or access information that should be protected by the browser's security sandbox. The impact is particularly concerning given that reader mode is a commonly used feature that many users rely on for consuming web content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-13692 primarily focus on updating to Chrome version 77.0.3865.75 or later, where Google implemented proper policy enforcement mechanisms for reader mode operations. Organizations should ensure that all Chrome installations are updated to the patched version to eliminate the vulnerability. Browser vendors and security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious HTML content patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix addresses the underlying CWE-693 weakness related to protection mechanism failure, which is categorized under the broader category of security misconfigurations that can lead to privilege escalation. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 which involves exploiting software vulnerabilities to gain access to systems, and demonstrates how seemingly benign browser features can become attack vectors when security controls are insufficient. Regular security audits of browser configurations and content rendering features should be conducted to identify similar policy enforcement gaps that could be exploited by threat actors.