CVE-2019-13726 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in password manager in Google Chrome prior to 79.0.3945.79 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13726 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Google Chrome's password manager component that existed in versions prior to 79.0.3945.79. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which specifically addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The flaw manifests when Chrome processes specially crafted HTML content that triggers the password manager functionality, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote adversaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the improper handling of user input within Chrome's password management system. When a malicious webpage loads content that triggers the password manager's processing logic, the application fails to properly validate the length of input data before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This allows attackers to overflow the allocated memory space and overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially including return addresses or other critical program state information. The vulnerability specifically targets the password manager's internal buffer handling mechanisms, which are designed to store and process user credentials and form data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe remote code execution risk that can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. Attackers can craft HTML pages containing malicious JavaScript or other payload elements that when processed by Chrome's password manager, trigger the buffer overflow condition. The remote nature of this attack means that victims can be compromised simply by navigating to a malicious webpage, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or exploit delivery scenarios. The attack surface is broad as it affects all Chrome versions prior to the patched release, encompassing a significant user base.
The exploitation of CVE-2019-13726 aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1203 technique for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage software vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code on target systems. The vulnerability also relates to T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the executed code to perform further malicious activities. Organizations and users should prioritize immediate patching to address this vulnerability, as the window of exposure increases with time. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider deploying web application firewalls or content filtering solutions as additional defensive measures. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and implementing comprehensive security hygiene practices to prevent remote code execution attacks that can compromise user systems and data integrity.