CVE-2020-6410 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Insufficient policy enforcement in navigation in Google Chrome prior to 80.0.3987.87 allowed a remote attacker to confuse the user via a crafted domain name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-6410 represents a critical weakness in Google Chrome's navigation policy enforcement mechanisms that existed prior to version 80.0.3987.87. This flaw specifically targeted the browser's ability to properly distinguish between different domain names during navigation processes, creating a potential avenue for user deception and phishing attacks. The issue stems from insufficient validation of domain name handling within Chrome's security framework, allowing malicious actors to exploit subtle differences in domain naming that could confuse users during web navigation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Chrome's handling of domain names that appear similar but contain different characters or encoding methods. Attackers could craft domain names using homoglyphs or other character substitutions that visually resemble legitimate websites, thereby bypassing Chrome's normal security checks. This weakness particularly affected the browser's user interface elements that display domain information, allowing malicious sites to present misleading visual cues that could trick users into believing they are visiting trusted websites. The flaw operates at the intersection of web security policies and user interface design, where the browser's policy enforcement fails to adequately validate domain name authenticity during navigation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability created significant risks for users who might be tricked into entering sensitive information on malicious websites. The attack vector relies heavily on social engineering techniques combined with technical exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may not be fully security-aware. The vulnerability could be exploited across various web applications and services, potentially leading to credential theft, financial fraud, or data breaches. Security researchers have classified this issue as a medium to high severity threat due to its potential for user deception and the relatively simple implementation required by attackers to exploit the flaw.
Organizations and individuals should prioritize updating to Chrome version 80.0.3987.87 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as the patch addresses the core policy enforcement issues in domain name handling. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level security controls such as DNS filtering and web content filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious domain patterns. Security teams should also consider user education programs focused on recognizing phishing attempts and understanding the importance of verifying website addresses before entering sensitive information. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and ATT&CK techniques related to URL redirection and user interface deception, emphasizing the need for comprehensive browser security measures. The incident highlights the critical importance of robust policy enforcement in web browsers and demonstrates how seemingly minor flaws in domain name handling can create significant security risks for end users.