CVE-2019-13741 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient validation of untrusted input in Blink in Google Chrome prior to 79.0.3945.79 allowed a local attacker to bypass same origin policy via crafted clipboard content.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's Blink rendering engine that enabled local attackers to circumvent the same origin policy through maliciously crafted clipboard content. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the browser's clipboard handling functionality, which allowed untrusted data to be processed without proper sanitization or verification. The vulnerability specifically affected Chrome versions prior to 79.0.3945.79, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the weakness in the browser's security model.
The technical flaw manifests in how Blink processes clipboard data, where the browser fails to properly validate the integrity and origin of content copied from external sources. When users interact with clipboard operations, the browser should enforce strict validation to prevent malicious data from being interpreted as legitimate content. However, this validation mechanism was insufficient, allowing attackers to craft specially formatted clipboard entries that could bypass security boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a classic case of insufficient input validation that enables privilege escalation through local manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to perform cross-origin resource access without proper authorization. By leveraging the clipboard manipulation capability, an attacker could potentially access data that should be restricted to specific origins, effectively breaking the fundamental web security model that separates different domains. This could enable the execution of malicious code, data exfiltration, or the exploitation of other vulnerabilities in the browser's security architecture. The attack requires local access to the target system but does not need network connectivity, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local privilege escalation is possible.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" as attackers could leverage the bypassed security boundaries to execute malicious scripts. The weakness also corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1071.001 for "Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols" since it affects web browser security mechanisms. The security implications extend beyond simple clipboard manipulation to encompass broader browser security model weaknesses that could potentially enable more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies include immediate upgrading to Chrome version 79.0.3945.79 or later where the vulnerability has been patched. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser security policies that restrict clipboard access permissions and monitor for unusual clipboard activity. Additional protective measures include deploying browser security extensions that provide enhanced clipboard monitoring, implementing network segmentation to limit local access privileges, and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation vectors. System administrators should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify suspicious clipboard manipulation patterns and alert security teams to potential exploitation attempts.