CVE-2019-13703 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient policy enforcement in the Omnibox in Google Chrome on Android prior to 78.0.3904.70 allowed a remote attacker to spoof the contents of the Omnibox (URL bar) via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13703 represents a significant security flaw in Google Chrome's implementation of the Omnibox feature on Android devices. This issue stems from inadequate policy enforcement mechanisms that govern how Chrome handles URL display and content rendering within the address bar interface. The Omnibox serves as a critical security element in web browsers, providing users with visual confirmation of the website they are visiting and helping prevent phishing attacks by clearly displaying the actual URL. When this protective mechanism is compromised, it creates a dangerous window for malicious actors to deceive users about the true nature of web content they are interacting with.
The technical flaw manifests when Chrome fails to properly validate or enforce security policies during the rendering of web content that attempts to manipulate the Omnibox display. A remote attacker can craft a specially designed HTML page that exploits this weakness to manipulate how the URL appears in the address bar, potentially displaying misleading information that obscures the actual destination of a website. This manipulation occurs through the browser's handling of certain HTML elements and JavaScript behaviors that interact with the Omnibox interface, allowing attackers to present false URL information to unsuspecting users. The vulnerability specifically affects Chrome versions prior to 78.0.3904.70, indicating that this was a known issue that required specific version updates to resolve.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user interface manipulation to encompass serious security implications for Android Chrome users. Users may be deceived into believing they are visiting legitimate websites when they are actually interacting with malicious content, creating opportunities for phishing attacks, credential theft, and other forms of social engineering. The attack vector requires only that a user navigate to a specially crafted webpage, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various means including malicious links in emails, social media messages, or compromised websites. This vulnerability directly undermines the fundamental security model of web browsers by compromising one of the primary user interface elements designed to protect against such deception attacks.
The flaw aligns with CWE-601 and CWE-807 categories, specifically addressing issues related to URL redirection and insecure direct object references. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving social engineering and credential access through user interface manipulation. The attack leverages the trust users place in the browser's address bar interface, which is a core component of the browser's security architecture. Organizations and individual users who continued to operate affected Chrome versions faced increased exposure to targeted attacks that could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or system resources. The remediation approach required users to update to Chrome version 78.0.3904.70 or later, which included patched implementations of the Omnibox policy enforcement mechanisms. This vulnerability underscored the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and demonstrated how seemingly cosmetic interface elements can contain fundamental security implications that affect user trust and system integrity across the broader mobile web ecosystem.