CVE-2020-6494 in Chrome
Summary
by MITRE
Incorrect security UI in payments in Google Chrome on Android prior to 83.0.4103.97 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 • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-6494 represents a critical security flaw in Google Chrome's user interface handling on Android devices, specifically affecting versions prior to 83.0.4103.97. This issue falls under the category of user interface security deception, where the browser's visual representation of web content becomes compromised, creating an environment where users cannot trust the information displayed in the Omnibox. The vulnerability stems from improper validation and rendering of security indicators within Chrome's interface, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the visual presentation of web addresses and security status information. This type of flaw directly impacts the browser's ability to maintain user trust and security awareness, which are fundamental to secure browsing experiences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTML content to influence how Chrome displays security information in the Omnibox, which serves as the primary interface element for URL display and security indicators. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit the browser's rendering engine to present misleading information about the current page's security status or URL. This manipulation occurs at the interface level rather than the network or application level, making it particularly insidious because users typically trust the visual cues provided by their browser's security indicators. The flaw allows for the spoofing of security warnings, SSL certificate information, and other critical UI elements that users rely upon to make informed decisions about their browsing activities. According to CWE-693, this represents a protection mechanism failure where the security UI itself becomes compromised, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for the use of HTML-based attacks to manipulate user interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-6494 extends beyond simple visual deception to create significant risks for user security and privacy. When users cannot trust the information displayed in Chrome's Omnibox, they become vulnerable to phishing attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, and other social engineering schemes that rely on visual deception. The compromised security UI effectively undermines the browser's security model by creating a false sense of security or, conversely, unnecessary alarm. Users may be tricked into believing they are visiting legitimate secure sites when they are actually on malicious pages, or they may fail to recognize when they are actually on secure sites due to manipulated security indicators. This vulnerability particularly affects Android users who rely on Chrome's security features for protection, as the mobile browser environment presents unique challenges for maintaining consistent security UI behavior across different device configurations and screen sizes. The attack vector requires only a single malicious web page to be visited, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates how user interface security elements, when compromised, can serve as a gateway for more serious security breaches, as users may proceed to enter sensitive information or perform transactions they would otherwise avoid if properly warned about the security status of the page.
Mitigation of CVE-2020-6494 requires immediate system updates to Chrome version 83.0.4103.97 or later, which addresses the specific UI rendering flaw in the Omnibox security indicators. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all Android devices running Chrome are promptly updated to patched versions. Users should be educated about the importance of verifying URLs manually, particularly when conducting sensitive transactions, and should be trained to recognize the signs of UI manipulation. Security teams should monitor for any reports of similar UI deception attacks and maintain awareness of the broader threat landscape for browser-based security issues. Additional defensive measures include implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and content filtering, though these should not be relied upon as primary defenses since the vulnerability affects the browser's native UI rendering capabilities. The fix implemented by Google addresses the core rendering issue in Chrome's security UI handling, ensuring that Omnibox elements are properly validated and displayed without manipulation from malicious HTML content. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining secure user interface elements and the potential consequences when these elements become compromised.