CVE-2019-13757 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect security UI in Omnibox in Google Chrome prior to 79.0.3945.79 allowed a remote attacker to perform domain spoofing via IDN homographs via a crafted domain name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-13757 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's Omnibox user interface that existed prior to version 79.0.3945.79. This issue falls under the category of user interface security weaknesses and specifically addresses the improper handling of internationalized domain names within the browser's address bar. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables remote attackers to exploit the visual similarity between different character sets to deceive users into believing they are visiting a legitimate website when they are actually interacting with a malicious one. This type of attack leverages the complexities of international domain name encoding and the browser's rendering of these names in the user interface.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in Chrome's insufficient validation and display handling of internationalized domain names that utilize homograph characters. Homograph attacks exploit the visual similarity of characters from different character sets, such as using cyrillic characters that appear identical or nearly identical to latin characters. When a malicious actor crafts a domain name using these homograph characters, the browser's Omnibox fails to properly distinguish between the legitimate and malicious variants during display, creating a deceptive user experience. This flaw specifically affects how Chrome renders internationalized domain names in its address bar, allowing attackers to present a domain name that visually matches a trusted website but resolves to a different IP address. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and is closely related to CWE-352: Cross-Site Request Forgery in terms of the broader category of user interface deception attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attempts to encompass a wide range of security threats including credential theft, malware distribution, and financial fraud. Attackers can craft domain names that appear identical to well-known websites such as banks, social media platforms, or e-commerce sites, leading users to unknowingly submit sensitive information to malicious servers. The remote nature of this attack means that victims do not need to interact with any malicious code on their device directly, as the deception occurs purely through the browser's visual presentation. This makes the attack vector particularly stealthy and effective, as users are often unaware that they are being deceived until they realize they have entered sensitive information on a fraudulent site. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently access internationalized websites or where security awareness may be lower.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate remediation and long-term security enhancements. The primary solution involves updating to Google Chrome version 79.0.3945.79 or later, which implements proper internationalized domain name validation and display mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious domain name patterns, implementing DNS-based security solutions that can identify homograph attacks, and establishing user education programs that highlight the risks of visiting unfamiliar websites. Security teams should consider implementing browser security extensions that provide additional validation of domain names, particularly for high-risk activities such as online banking or sensitive business transactions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1566.001: Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and T1566.002: Phishing: Spearphishing Link, demonstrating how this UI deception can be leveraged as part of broader social engineering campaigns. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms and monitoring for unusual domain name patterns in network traffic to detect potential exploitation attempts.